STRIKERS ADAMANT

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 72, 16 June 1927, Page 1

STRIKERS ADAMANT

Arapuni Unionists Loath to Go Back to Work INNER HISTOR Y OF DISPUTE (THE SUN’S Special Reporter .) LIKE a bombshell among the strikers at Arapuni came the announcement, at 4.30 yesterday afternoon, that the National Executive of the New Zealand Workers’ Union had ordered them back to work. The effect of the executive’s pronouncement was that the Arapuni men—who had decided to let the company make the next move—were overridden, and they refused to obey it.

ARAPUNI, To-day. nPHE workmen are at present standing firm and will not resume work before a general meeting to be held on Saturday, when Mr. A. Cook, of the New Zealand Workers’ Union, will probably be present. The one stipulation applied by the national executive was that a conference should be granted after work had resumed.. From the outset the company had been willing to agree to a conference, always provided work was resumed, so it followed that work would start again this morning. The company would thus have come out on top, the men gaining a conference —which they could have had on Monday—and losing three days’ pay. STRIKERS INCREDULOUS The actual wire, sent to Armstrong, Whitworth’s, Ltd., was as follows: “National executive have ordered men resume work immediately on understanding you grant conference after work resumed; reply.—Cook.” On receiving the wire the company informed the strike executive, but received no assurance that the men would return to work this morning. The news spread round the camp with extraordinary rapidity, but many at first declined to believe it was true. Wages had been paid out yesterday afternoon, and a number of men had immediately left for Hamilton and Auckland. They had not expected the strike to end before Saturday, so had decided to make the best use of their leisure. When the wire arrived, a lot more were contemplating a holiday, and many had their swags packed, ready for departure. Learning of the new development, some at once changed their plans, but others decided to go on with their arrangements, and have a day or two, at least, in the outer world. Strikers, surprised at the unexpected turn of events, will doubtless be dribbling back to Arapuni for the rest of the week. BEHIND THE SCENES Among the workers at Arapuni the assumption is that the national executive at Wellington thought either that the strike was inopportune, or that it was not being properly conducted. A rumour that Mr. J. B. Williams, organiser of the Workers' Union, did not agree with Mr. J. Kelly, president of the strike executive, was freely circulated among the strikers, and w-hen Mr. Williams—who had been originally summoned to Arapuni by the company—left suddenly for Wellington, the rumours were intensified. Last night an altercation occurred at No. 1 camp, where a night watchman named Fred Henry was assaulted, and cut about the head. It was more in the nature of a private affray than jrnything to do with the strike.

QUIET PAY-DAY

WHERE MEN ARE DISSATISFIED Pay-day yesterday passed off quietly. Disorderly scenes had been feared, but none materialised. The men simply stood round in the sunshine discussing the situation, and airing their views as to the policy the Strike Committee should follow. Many of them confidently believed—in this they were sadly disillusioned a few hours later—that all they had to do was prolong the strike. Then they expected the Public Works Department to step in and take over the contract. For this development a number earnestly hoped, as thev believed they would get better working and living conditions under the Public Works Department, than they were getting under the company's control.

The Arapuni townships are run on. the "barrack” system, and the camps are rather reminiscent of war-time cantonments. Points of difference are that the camp-yards are not nearly so clean. Garbage is often to be seen strewn about, and some of the huts are filthy. The blame for this of course, rests largely with the men themselves. Conditions at Arapuni, to some extent, are what the individual makes them.

With men working odd shifts, night and day, the hutment system is not satisfactory'. A man worn out by fatigue and lack of sleep may be kept awake by & group of noisy Dalmatians in the next "apartment.”

COMPARISON WITH MANGAHAO At Mangahao the Public Works Department overcame this difficulty by quartering groups of men all on the same shift in self-contained cottages, each with fireplace. At Arapuni fires seem scarce, and the men complain, also, that the food and the arrangements for issue of gumboots and gloves for the concrete-workers are not up to standard as compared with Mangahao. Their complaints in this respect were endorsed by one of the resident Public Works men at Arapuni. He told THE SUN representative that the men at Mangahao were better off, under the department, than were the Arapuni workers under the company.

Furthermore, he agreed that it was largely luck that had restricted the number of fatal accidents at Arapuni to three.

Against these observations is the undeniable fact that the company at Arapuni is working under concentrated difficulties almost without parallel in the history of hydro-electric development. Whether the contractors have followed the best methods is largely a matter of opinion among engineers. Many Public Works men disagree with the practices followed, but layman, on the other hand, will give Armstrong, Whitworth’s, Ltd., credit for overcoming monumental obstacles, and when expects differ, who is to decide?