PETONE STRIKE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 November 1940, Page 7

PETONE STRIKE

TROUBLE AT FACTORY LABOUR DEPARTMENT ULTIMATUM. STATEMENTS BY BOTH SIDES. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The strike at W. D. and H. O. Wills’ tobacco factory, Petone, continued yesterday. About 300 workers were stated to be concerned, while about 200 others were not affected and were still at work. Pickets were stated to have been established at the factory, and police to be on duly there. A meeting of the strikers took place in Petone yesterday afternoon. Mr T. J. L. Tucker, secretary of the Wellington Tobacco Workers’ Union, said last night that an ultimatum had been delivered to the workers by the Labour Department to the effect that unless they returned to work on Monday the union would be deregistered. If the men went back to work on Monday. the liaison officer of the department would make a thorough investigation into the dispute. If they did not, the notice would be gazetted under the War Emergency Regulations deregistering the Petone branch of the New Zealand Tobacco Workers Industrial Union of Workers. The question whether the men will return to work is to be placed before the workers at a meeting to be held at 10 o'clock on Monday morning.

Mr Tucker expressed the opinion last night that the men would definitely not go back to work on Monday. In an earlier statement Mr Tucker said:—"The cause of the trouble was the dismissal of an employee of the company, and it is the union's opinion that the worker was dismissed because of his union activities. The worker concerned was tin assessor on the disputes committee, which met in Wellington on October 26. After the dismissal of the worker, the employees of the company stopped production in the factory at 10.30 on Wednesday morning. and an ultimatum was presented to the company that, unless the worker concerned was reinstated, no further work would be done at the factory. "The management rejected the ultimatum and refused definitely to consider any disputes committee or any approach from the workers who had taken the action unless they resumed work. The above statement was referred to the company's industrial adviser. Mr W. J. Mountjoy, secretary of the Wellington Employers' Association, who made the following reply:—“The statement made by the union that the worker was dismissed because of his union activities is incorrect. The company is not opposed to unionism and prefers to have its industry governed by the ex-

isting labour laws. The man’s services were terminated in a' proper and friendly maimer, because his service was no longer required. He was paid all wages due to him and given a full year's annual holiday pay. though ho had not completed the year's service. He was also given a certificate setting out particulars of the service rendered. No blemish whatever was placed on the man by the firm; his services were just discontinued."