RELIEF STRIKE

Hokitika Guardian, 27 June 1933, Page 5

RELIEF STRIKE

HASTINGS DISCORD DOLE RATE FOR BIG CONTRACT. (Per Press A ssoriationr— Copyright.) HASTINGS, June. 26. Owing to their disapproval • of tha Hawke’s Bay Rivers’ Board’s decision to carry out preliminary work in connection with -the. river diversion scheme with unemployed labour, the Hastings, Napier, Taradale .and Clive unemployed decided, this morning, to call a general strike. It is probable that the unemployed of Waipukurau and Waipawa, who are affiliated with the local men, as the Hawke’s Bay branch of the newlyt'ormcd national organisation, will join in the strike. Pickets were put on > the Rivers Board jobs this morning, and all the Rivers’ Board work was declared “black.” The men made a request this morning that those allocated to Rivers’ Board jobs should be given other v ork The decision t 0 call a general strike followed upon the refusal to consider that request. The men’s contention is that, as the Rivers’ Board scheme is essential the workmen employed on it should be given award wages, and given full tmror t:: Mr Chris. Hasson, on behalf of the Rivers’ Board, explained, at .a-meeting of the men this morning, that the Government granted only £IOOO for the preliminary work, and' that the Rivers’ Board has no money t 0 enable it to accept the men’ s requests. Negotiations are now proceeding. In the meantime, all relief work in the Hastings and Napier districts has ceased, and probably two thousand men are involved.

GENERAL STRIKE DECLARED APPEAL MADE BY THE MEN V HASTINGS, June 26. A ’general strike of the unemployed on. all of the relief jobs has . been declared throughout the , Hawke’s Bay district. It is clue to the objections, which have, been raised to .the .employing of relief workers on the 'Rivers’ Board’s diyersion of' the Tukaekuri •River scheme and other works' which the Hawke’s Bay County Council lias in hand in addition. At a meeting, at Napier this evening it was-decided unanimously bythe unemployed that, instead of adopting resistance, ' they would employ every means there were to./ see that there were no “black-legs” em-, ployed. "? . • ''■■•o -V ■' The relief workers maintain that this river diversion work should he carried out under, tile conditions of full Time and of the - standard* rhtb itf wages. They also 'maintain , that the County Council work is mainteipiiice work, which should .he done, by- the Council’s permanent staff, and which would ‘otherwise lead to men being compulsorily sent out. to various camps. The n-elief workers have appealed to the business men throughout the district, concluding, with ' the following: “We are confident that you will not allow our wives and children to go hungry whilst we are fighting 1 for better conditions.”

The speakers at one of the several meetings that were held, throughout the clay, said that so far as national action is concerned, he did not know what advice the local organisation would give to the National Council. It would he foolish to “stage an explosion’’ at present,-; but t.Jiere was no doubt that "taken, the not only in Hawj^~#ay, : but throughout New Zealand;^-