RAILWAY WORKERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 November 1938, Page 7

RAILWAY WORKERS

THE OTAHUHU STRIKE

FEDERATION OF LABOUR INTERVENES CONFERENCE IN V7ELLINGTON (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The principal Wellington developments yesterday concerning the strike of employees at the Otahuhu railway workshops were the entry into the dispute of the New Zealand Federation of Labour and the departure of representatives of the Federation of Labour, the New Zealand Railway Tradesmen’s Association, and the Boilermaker’s Federation for Auckland last night. It appears from information that can be obtained in Wellington that the national offices in Wellington of the organisations concerned have been concentrating their attention on confining the dispute to Otahuhu and are moving in the direction of obtaining an early settlement there.

Yesterday morning a conference was held between representatives of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, the Railway Tradesmen’s Association and the national executive of the Federation of Labour, to which representatives of the Boilermakers’ Federation (a union which includes men employed by the Governmen as well as men employed by private firms) were later admitted. It was decided to advise the men at the Otahuhu workshops to return to work under the conditions laid down by the Minister of Railways, who had given an 'assurance that immediately that was done negotiations would .be opened.

Upon leaving the conference, officers of the national organisations went to the Hutt Workshops, where a meeting of all the 2000 employees was being held at the call of the local combined committee of the A.S.R.S. and the Railway Tradesmen’s Association. Mr F. P. Walsh, a member of the national council of the Federation of Labour, addressed the men and acquainted them with the decision of the conference. The meeting confined itself to passing a motion of sympathy ■ with the Auckland strikers and decided to leave the handling of the dispute to the Federation of Labour.

Those who left Otahuhu by the Limited express last night were Messrs Walsh, S. Ingram, secretary of the Railway Tradesmen’s Association, and an Auckland representative of the Boilermakers’ Federation. Upon their arrival they will address meetings of all the men employed at the Otahuhu workshops.

WORKS DESERTED POSITION IN AUCKLAND STATEMENT BY COMMITTEE (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, November 4. ■ There was no material change in the Otahuhu railway workshops strike situation when the men assembled at the workshops at the usual hour this morning. After holding a mass meeting and hearing reports from .the committee acting for them, the men departed for their homes, and by 10 a.m. the works presented a deserted appearance. Only apprentices and a few men on essential duties remained. The men’s determination to stand firmly behind their claim and assurances of support from other centres were mentioned in an Official statement issued by the men’s committee shortly after noon. The statement read as follows:

“At 7.30 a.m. the men reported at the workshops prepared to resume work pending official negotiations, provided the department agreed to allow the men to resume work under the conditions prevailing prior to Wednesday. A mass meeting was subsequently held at 8.30, at which the men again expressed their determination to remain solid. A report 'was received from delegates to the Auckland council of the Federation of Labour, which has considered the case and given the men its unanimous support and communicated to the national executive of the federation in Wellington the justness of the men’s claim. We have official communications from responsible officials in Wellington that the matter is being placed before the Minister of Railways, the Hon D. G. Sullivan, by the national executive of the Federation of Labour and we hope for immediate settlement as a result of the negotiations. Reports have been received this morning from other centres expressing their solidarity toward the men. in Otahuhu.” When the men dispersed it was felt that nothing further would eventuate until Monday morning, as a five-day week is in vogue at the workshops. Workers had arranged to return at the usual hour on Monday to receive reports on any developments over the week-end. ‘ . During the afternoon the disputes committee received advice that members of the national executive of the Federation of Labour were travelling from Wellington by the Limited express and desire to meet the men tomorrow morning. Steps were immediately taken to convene a special mass meeting at the workshops at 11 a.m.

NO ACTION AT ADDINGTON (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, November 4. No opinion on the Otahuhu strike has been expressed by employees of the Addington workshops, and the men were continuing work as usual yesterday. Advice has been received from the headquarters of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants in Wellington that its members, among whom are included a proportion of the employees at Addington, should remain at work pending negotiations. No action has been taken locally by the Railway Tradesmen’s Association, to which other employees at the workshops belong. Any action in this case also will depend on the advice oi headquarters in Wellington.

REPORT CHALLENGED ATTITUDE OF THE MEN AT HILLSIDE (By Telegraph—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, November 4. Mr Philip G. Connolly, secretary of the Hillside branch of the A.S.R.S., in a letter to the Press, says:—“Today’s issue of your publication contains the following: “It was stated by one of the

men in a position to know that 95 per cent of the men at Hillside had no sympathy with the northern employees’ action and considered that they were ill-advised in 'the drastic course ot action they had taken.’ In reply, I have been authorised to state that the above did not emanate from an official of the Hillside branch of the A.S.R.S.. for we are not in a position to make such a statement in regard to the Otahuhu dispute. All official statements issued by our own organisation will be in writing and will bear the branch seal.”

The information published this morning was obtained from an official of the Hillside branch of the A.S.R.S.