IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12618, 1 December 1926, Page 7

IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT

LOADING OF FROZEN MEAT TO BE DONE BY FREE LABOUR SOLVING THE PROBLEM WATERSIDERS FAIL TO RESPOND TO CALLS FOR LABOUR Per Press Association. NAPIER, November 30. The loading of frozen meat on to lighters at Port Ahuriri will be commenced at 8 o’clock to-morrow morning by free labour. This will solve the problem with which the meat companies were confronted when it became evident that members of the watersiders’ union would not handle meat from the works where slaughtering was being done with free labour. The Port Hobart completed loading of wool yesterday, and was then ready to take refrigerated cargo. The first call for labour for this purpose was made yesterday afternoon without response from the unionists. To-day two further calls were made, morning and afternoon, and" in each case the watersiders did not put in an appearance. No meat was railed from any of the works to-day, but will come through early this morning.

REPLACED BY FREE LABOUR

KILLING AT FREEZING WORKS NO UNIONISTS - OFFERING. Per Press Association. HAWERA, November 30. When the season commences at the Patea works this morning no union slaughtermen accepted work on mutton for export, though a number of unionists accepted engagement in other branches. The killing commenced with fifteen non-union butchers, sufficient to cope with the present offering. AT AUCKLAND AUCKLAND, November 30. There was no change yesterday in

the position of the slaughtermen’s dispute in Auckland. A call is being made to-day for fab our to operate export stock by both the Westfield and Farmers’ Freezing Companies, a-nd this should shape the issue definitely. In the meanwhile, negotiations are proceeding for a conference between the parties at Wellington to-morrow, when it is hoped that a basis for agreement will be reached. A later message states that the Westfield and the Farmers’ Freezing Companies have decided to delay their operations, pending the result of the conference at Wellington tomorrow. Three hundred men attended the freezing workers’ largest meeting last night, and decided not to turn to unless advised by the federation to do so.