INTIMIDATION ALLEGED

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 835, 2 December 1929, Page 11

INTIMIDATION ALLEGED

SEAMEN’S UNION SUED FIREMAN CLAIMS DAMAGES

Intimidation of the captains of the steamers Taniwha and Tofua by threats to hold up the vessels it a certain fireman was employed was alleged in a claim for dam?i? es », by John Thwaites against the New Zealand Federated Seamens Union and Thomas F. Anderson, secretary of the Auckland union, commenced before Mr. Justice Smith in the Supreme Court this afternoon. Thwaites, who is a unionist ship's fireman ,claimed £l5O general damages, £,O for loss of wages and £7 weekly special damages from July i:; last from the union. He alleged that oa May 4 this year the union, by its servant, had illegally interfered with his contract by refusing to allow the master of the steamer Taniwha to continue employing him in his usual occupation, and threatened to hold up the ship unless he was dismissed. Thwaites further claimed that he had obtained a job on the Tofua on May 17 this year, and that the following day the union's servant took a similar line of action and made similar threats, as a result of which plaintiff had lost his employment on both vessels, and since he had not been able to obtain work at his usual occupation. The defence was a categorical denial of t % charges. Mr. Dickson appeared for the plaintiff and Mr. Holmden for the defendants. An additional defendant, the Auckland Federated Seamen's Industrial Union of Workers, was added to the case. Mr. Dickson said that the action was based either oi, the fact thac defendant’s statement had induced Thwaites's employers to dismiss him or that the threat compelled the plaintiff to give up his employment. Thwaites had been employed on the Taniwha for six years prior to the incident (Proceeding )