FLAXMILL DISPUTE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1988, 10 June 1919, Page 3

FLAXMILL DISPUTE.

MATTERS REACH A DEADLOCK

EMPLOYERS WILL NOT SIT WITH MILITARY DEFAULTER.

The following letter has been forwarded to this journal for publication : , Dear Sir. —A special meeting of the above union was held on Saturday, June 7lh, and I was instructed by it to place before you and the public generally the facts in connection with the dispute at present disturbing the (laxmill industry. Since December 4th, 1917, we have been working under an agreement which stipulated for a minimum wage of 14s per day in the mills, this agreement was termin-

able by oil her side; on 14 days’ notice being given. On the 17th May wo received from the Millers’ Association dated May 14th,' giving notice to terminate the agreement. From statements appearing in the Press, it was the avowed object of the millers to bring about a reduclion of wages.

On the 21th of May our union held a special meeting, at which it was decided to ask the employers to meet our representatives of the union to consider the drawing up of another agreement to take the place of the one il was proposed to cancel. This resolution was conveyed to the employers —the time and place of the proposed- conference being left to them, As the result of the foregoing, a conference was ar-

ranged for June 2nd; but on the Friday previous thereto a point Y“wiis raised by the millers’ representatives, to the effect that one of the union delegates was a man whose name appeared on the Military Defaulters’ List, and on the Monday they conveyed to ns their definite decision not to meet our representatives with t his man as one of them. We called another special meeting for Saturday last, June 7th, to consider the position. Prior to the meeting being held a letter was

handed in from 1 lie secretary of the Millers’ Association, asking to be

notified by ’phone: “whether or not

your men wish to meet the millers *on Monday, so that I can advise them by ’phone to-night or to-raor-row. They are available if your men wish to meet them.” A reply was given to this by ’phone, stating that we wished to meet them by the delegates already appointed, and the secretary of the .Millers’ Association said he communicate with his members and let us know the result later. About two hours later he informed us that they were unwilling to meet us for the same reason as before. At the present lime, therefore, a deadlock exists.

The union at its meeting last Uat-

,xirday resolved to adhere to its preT vious resolution, as *our members believe that important principles are involved. First, we maintain the principle of our unfettered right to choose our own representatives, without any direct or indirect dictation on the part of: the employers; secondly, the member objected to has already suffered two years’ imprisonment for his breach of the Military Service Act, and is now disfranchised for ton years. We object to the notion that it is competent for any body of private persons to add to (he punishment deemed to be sufficient by the authorities and provided by Statute. If a stand U not taken on this point, then discrimination regarding employment would naturally follow, thus converting the two years sentence into an indeterminate one at the discretion of any irresponsible employe!'. W'o believe that the thoughtful and just ice loving section of the community will justify ns in our stand, and we therefore make the foregoing public with lull confidence in the justice of our cause. In the meantime we are asking our members not: to engage in employment in the mills under 14s per day (last season's rates) until such time as a conference is held. —Yours faithful 1 v, • PERCY T. ROBINSON, Secretary. . THE EMPLOYERS’ VIEWS. .. The matter was referred to Mr K.T. Bell, of the N.Z. Flaxmillers’ Association, by a Standard reporter yesterday morning. Mr Bell staled that so far as he knew the executive of the Association was very Unix in its intention not to back down from the stand it had taken. At the same time, Mr Bell pointed out that there was no ill-feeling on the part of the employers in the matter, but they were not agreeable to sit in conference with a man whose name hud appeared on the proscribed list as a, military defaixlter. Personally he thought it was a great pity that the point had arisen, as he -was confident that had the conference, been held an agreement acceptable to both parties would have very likely been fixed up. Mr Bell added that he thought the union was making a great mistake in refusing to aeccde to the employers’ wishes and appoint another u man in (he place of the man ohjeeled to. His non-inclusion could not be held to affect the conference, nor could it be said that the union would have any difficulty in appointing a substitute thoroughly competent to take his seat at the conference. f The Flaxmillers’ Association were not, as the union suggested, attempting to dictate to the men. It was not a question of dictation at all. It was merely a matter affecting the employers’ feelings as citizens. It was a very delicate matter with all of them, especially as a number of them luul lost relatives

at the front, to ask them to sit in conference with a military defaulter. That being the ease, the union should respeet the feelings of lho.se who had been bereaved, and replaee tluf delegate in question. The employers were just as firm in their

altitude as the union. The last decision of the executive was not to give way on the point, and he thought that this attitude would be maintained.

SOCTAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY'S VIEWS.

At a meeting of the Palmerston North Democratic Party, held las! night, the following resolution was unanimously carried: “That in the dispute now proceeding between the Flaxmillcrs’ Association and the Flaxmill Workers’ Union, we place ourselves behind the. men in their reasonable demand for a living wage, and condemn the attitude adopted by the employers in deliberately declining to meet with the workers’ representatives for the alleged reason that the name of one of the representatives appears on the defaulters’ list of conscientious objectors. First of all, those delegates have been selected by popular vote in a legitimate manner to discuss wages, etc., in dispute, and wo feel astounded at such a demand being made for the withdrawal of the elected representative by the employers. The principle of selfgovernment in trades unionism is so important that no interference on the pari of employers can lie tolerated. At the same time the public have been led to assume that a new spirit had entered trade relationships by the suffering of the war. Evidently the capitalist spirit dictatorial manner still persists. We Tool sure that such a high-handed attitude will tend to embitter all workers and promote industrial unrest. Finally, wc urge the workers engaged in the flaxmilling industry to resist jo the utmost any and all encroachments made or threatened, upon their trade rights and selfgovernment within the industry.”