BELFAST MEAT WORKS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 December 1939, Page 8

BELFAST MEAT WORKS

NO WORK DONE TODAY MEN REFUSE TO MAN THIRD CHAIN. COMPANY' REFUSES TO SUPPLY STOCK. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Because of the refusal of the workers to man an additional chain, and the refusal of the company to supply the stock chain while the extra one remained unmanned, lhe freezing works of Thomas Borthwick and Sons (Australasia) Ltd at Belfast were idle today. In the off season, a third chain was installed at the works, and when the men would not agree to man this chain yesterday afternoon the company delivered an ultimatum that no more stock would be available for the existing chains until the third one was manned. That ultimatum was acted on this morning. The men offered themselves for work at 8 a.m.. but would not take their stations on the third chain. A meeting was held by the men when the company refused to make stock available for the chains, this meeting being attended by the officer in charge of the Labour Department. Mr R. T. Bailey. On Mr Bailey's suggestion, all the men concerned took part in a secret ballot on the proposition that the men should consent to lhe request of the company and man the third chain. The result of lhe ballot was a four to one decision against consent.

An official of the company said today that they had taken the position as far as they could. The men were required to work the third chain. They had been asked to do so and had refused. preferring to adhere to the conditions that were in force last season. So long as the men maintained their present attitude the company would abide by its decision not to supply stock for the chains.

The secretary of the Canterbury Freezing Workers Union. Mr H. G. Kilpatrick. said the men were prepared to go back to work on the two chains and. leave the question of the manning of the third chain to the Disputes Committee.