TOBACCO WORKERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 November 1940, Page 9

TOBACCO WORKERS

DISPUTE AT PETONE. FINDING OF COMMITTEE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The finding of the Emergency Disputes Committee which met recently to consider the Petone tobacco workers dispute was released last evening by the Minister of- Lacour, Mr. Webb. "It will be recollected.*' said the Minister, “that following the decision of a meeting of the workers concerned to resume work, I set up a disputes committee under the Emergency Regulations, consisting of three representatives from each side under the chairmanship of Mr. J. A. Gilmour, Industrial Magistrate. I am informed that after discussing at some length the' matter in dispute, the members of the committee left it to the chairman to make the decision. j “Having regard to all the relevant ! circumstances of the case, and on due I consideration of the testimony of the ' witnesses called at the hearing. Mr. Gilmour came to the conclusion that there was insufficient evidence to justify a finding that the worker was dismissed by the company because of his activities as an executive member; of the union.’’ The members of the Tobacco Work- ( ers,’ Union employed at W. D. and H. O. Wills’ factory, who went on strike, de/nanded that the man involved in the dispute be reinstated unconditionally. They declared their belief that he had been victimised because of his conscientious attention to his duties as an executive member of the union.