WORKS DESERTED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 June 1939, Page 7

WORKS DESERTED

AUCKLAND FERTILISER STRIKE CASE FOR MEN STATED. ALLEGATIONS OF UNDUE DELAY. (By Telegraph—Dress Association.) AUCKLAND, June 27. After holding brief meetings at the three chemical works at Otahuhu, Westfield and Te Papapa today. 40(1 employees, who went on strike on Monday, dispersed and the works remained idle throughout the day. By 9.30 a.m. the works were practically deserted, only a few staff hands being found at work at the Otahuhu and Westfield works. where building operations are being carried on. There was a certain amount of activity, as some employees, artisans and labourers are not affected in the dispute. The acid plants at the three works have been reduced in operations, as shift workers, who operate them, ceased work at 8 o’clock in the morning. This was in accordance with a virtual ultimatum, served by the employees when they declared strike on Monday afternoon.

The managements expect no trouble in keeping those vital plants in a working capacity. An official of one of the companies stated that union representatives had said there would be no objections raised if clerical and other workers were employed in maintaining these plants. The eventualities arising from that course would be the concern of other unions, to which the employees belonged. In the case of the Challenge Company; the men called at the works this morning and collected their working clothes for washing. No definite statement was made to the employers. An official of the company said that) the strike would have serious consequences in industry. If farmers were unable to obtain supplies of fertiliser in quantity and at the time needed they would possibly cancel their orders and the effects on farms would be serious, resulting in a smaller return’ from the land. It was stated that at yesterday’s meeting the men demanded of one company that they close down the acid plant, which is a vital section of the industry, but the men were informed that this would not be done. “WORKERS EXASPERATED.” “The workers have become exasperated with the conditions under which they work, and which they consider are the worst in the Dominion,” said the secretary of the Otahuhu Chemical Manure Workers’ Union, Mr W. Miller, in an official statement made on behalf of the men. “They are disgusted with the procrastination of the employers, with whom they have been negotiating since Octobei- 17 of last year, but they are prepared to meet them at any time to open negotiations for an amicable settlement. “The total number of workers employed at the three works under the chemical manure workers’ award is 250. The award was made on October 17 of last year, post-dated to October 24 and made for two years. “There has been great dissatisfaction since the day the award was issued, when the workers held a stopwork meeting as a protest against the wage rates, the term of the award and retrospective pay. They resumed work when Mr W. J. Lyon, M.P., stated that he would endeavour to arrange La conference with employers to discuss the main reason causing dissatisfaction. PROPOSED PRICE INCREASE. “The employers refused repeated attempts made by the Minister of Labour till a conference was arranged by the Auckland branch of the Federation of Labour last March, when the workers submitted three proposals, about a base rate of wages, retrospective pay, and term of award. At this conference the only point discussed was wage rates. The employers stated that they had made representations'to the Government for permission to increase the selling price of superphosphate from £3 16s to £4 a ton, that the cost of manufacture had risen to such an extent that it could not be sold profitably at the price fixed, but that, if the fixed price, were increased by 4s a ton, they would favourably consider increasing wage rates by lid an hour on the classication in the present award. “A further conference of the parties, convened by Mr C. L. Hunter, acting on behalf of the Minister of Labour, was held on May 11, when he stated that only two of four companies operating in the Dominion had sent in returns to the Minister of Industries and Commerce, and the figures received did not warrant the Minister granting the increase asked by the companies.

“At that conference the workers’ delegates still pressed for the three points previously stated, but the employers refused to concede any increase in wages or retrospective pay. The only, point conceded by them was that they would agree to join with the workers in making application to the Court of Arbitration to amend the expiry date of the award to June 14. Application was duly made and the award amended to expire on the agreed date. “The workers immediately served the employers with claims for a new scale of wages, and were asked for a conference to discuss the, claims. That conference was hold on June 16. The employers refused to consider any increase in wage rates, and suggested that the workers should make application to the Court of Arbitration for a new award."

“In the absence from Auckland of the principals of two of the companies concerned, any reply to the statement made by the secretary of the Otahuhu Chemical Manure Union, Mr W. Miller, regarding conditions leading up to the trouble at the fertiliser .works, will be deferred’,’ said the secretary of the Auckland Employers' Association. Mr W. E. • Anderson. Mr Anderson intimated that Mr Miller’s statement would doubtless be considered at a meeting of' principals of the companies at the earliest opportunity.