DISPUTE AT WESTFIELD

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 March 1942, Page 4

DISPUTE AT WESTFIELD

STRIKERS TO RESUME WORK ENDEAVOUR TO HAVE ISSUES INVESTIGATED. LABOUR FEDERATION’S ASSURANCE. (By Telegraph— Press- Association.) AUCKLAND, March 18. Ou an assurance from the Federation of Labour that it would endeavour to have the issues in dispute between the men and the management at the Westfield premises of R. and W. Hellaby. Ltd., investigated by a tribunal, the 2300 strikers at the various establishments of the freezing industry in Auckland are to resume work at 8 o'clock tomorrow morning.

NO COMPROMISE PRINCIPLE OF UNIONISM VIOLATED. ATTITUDE OF MINISTER. (By Telegraph—Press- Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. “I made it clear that the Government had no intention of compromising with the men on strike,” said the Minister of Labour, Mr Webb, when referring last night to an interview which the Federation of Labour had with him yesterday morning concerning the stoppage of work by the Westfield and Southdown freezing workers. The federation, added the Minister, agreed to advise the men to resume work immediately. The men had complied with this advice and intended to resume unreservedly. Mr Webb said that whatever grievances the men had were to be handed over to the federation, which, in turn, would make representations to the Government to institute an inquiry into the different troubles arising in the industry. The men concerned in the stoppage had broken their own rules and violated every principle of unionism. They had delivered a serious blow to the country’s war effort. These men must realise that the privileges they enjoyed carried along with them grave responsibilities. Acting as they did they sacrificed every right they had enjoyed for protection under the law, with the result that the Government withdrew that protection. The Minister said he was at all times willing to hear representations, whether of employers or workers, to discuss any questions affecting industry. If the Federation of Labour approached him to institute an inquiry after the men had reutrned to work he would do so. No one regretted more than he the necessity for the action taken, but when the country was in danger any hold-up in production must be deprecated. Everyone should be at his or her post if physically fit to be there.

ACTION BY DEPARTMENT. OVER 300 SUMMONSES ISSUED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, March 17. Action has been taken by the Department of Labour against approximately 350 members of the Freezing Workers’ Union, who are to be charged in a Court to be held in the Town Hall concert chamber on Monday with being parties to a strike. Summonses have been made out calling on defendants to appear in the Town Hall, because the Magistrates’ Court could not accommodate all those charged. Defendants, who are all employees of R. and W. Heliaby, Ltd., will face a similar charge to the men who appeared before Mr J. H. Luxford, S.M., at the end of January. The charge reads that each “was a party to a strike in that, being in the employ of R. and W. Heliaby, Ltd., he did, with a number of other workers in the same employment, partially discontinue such employment contrary to the provisions of the Strike and Lockout Emergency Regulations, 1939. and the Emergency Regulations, 1939.” One hundred and twenty-five men who were convicted on a similar chaige in January, will appear before Mr Luxford on Friday for sentence. At the earlier hearings the magistrate convicted each defendant and ordered him to come up for sentence within 12 months ’if called on. He pointed out that there was legal machinery for dealing with industrial disputes that the men should have used. He also warned them that they would only be called on if they failed to work properly.

VOLUNTEER WORKERS ASSURANCE OF HELP. GIVEN BY THE MINISTER OF LABOUR. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. “Men who have answered the nation’s call cannot be looked upon as ‘blacklegs’ but as unionists and patriots, and will get every help and assistance to which they are entitled.” This was the answer made by the Minister of Labour (Mr Webb) when he was asked what was being done for the men who had volunteered for duty at the freezing works now that the staffs had returned. CONFUSED POSITION RE-EMPLOYMENT REFUSED BY STRIKERS. UNTIL ALL ARE ENGAGED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, This Day. There is a confused position in the freezing industry today. Although a majority of the men who decided yesterday to resume work presented themselves this morning for* re-em-ployment, only a section was engaged. At the Westfield Company’s works the men were informed that, owing to the dislocation caused in all departments and the fact that new arrangements had to be made regarding stock, it was impossible to employ all the men immediately. The men said they would not accept engagement until all were employed. None were engaged and the works are carrying on with the skeleton teams which worked yesterday and with volunteers. Further volunteers arriving were employed and a few regular employees are working. This was the position at ten o’clock, when a meeting was in progress. At Hellaby’s works, the cannery girls are still working normally. There is no stock to kill, all having been disposed of. The management has made a further appeal for men for all departments. The only works approaching normal

were the Southdown, King’s Wharf and Export Wharf plants of the Auckland Farmers’ Freezing Company. Owing to the fact that large quantities of stock were available at Southdown there was work for aIL