WESTFIELD DISPUTE
SETTLEMENT REACHED CONFERENCE TERMS AGREED UPON. ALL STRIKERS TO BE RE-ENGAGED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, March 23. A settlement of the dispute in the freezing industry at Westfield was reached today when a mass meeting of members of the Freezing Workers’ Union accepted the terms agreed upon at a conference of representatives of the employers and the Federation of Labour for the resumption of work. Reengagement of all the 1750 workers who have been on strike since March 12 and 16 without discrimination within 14 days is the basic feature of the agreement.
The dispute originated on March 12 and 350 employees at R. and W. Hellaby’s works ceased work as a protest against the management’s refusal to permit their union delegates to discuss union matters with women recently employed at the works cannery. They alleged the management was influencing the women to join the Hellaby Works Union. On the following Monday 1400 employees of the Westfield Freezing Company went on strike in support of the Hellaby men. Through the intervention of the Federation of Labour, it was agreed to resume work on the Thursday conditional on the union question being considered by a tribunal. On the workers reporting for work they learned that all workers were not to be re-engaged, and a further strike developed. The agreement reached today will permit of work being resumed, but the dislocation caused by the strike and the engagement of free labour at the two works will necessitate considerable reorganisation before all former hands can again be employed. The remainder of the strikers sentenced on Monday presented themselves at the police station today, and police vans and two postal vans were kept busy till the afternoon taking the prisoners to gaol in batches of 10. The men of each departing batch were cheered by their mates. The proceedings were good-natured and orderly.
WORK PROCEEDING RELEASE OF MEN SENT TO GAOL. SUGGESTED BY FEDERATION OF LABOUR. ! (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, This Day. The freezing works at Westfield carried on today with voluntary labour and some regular workers who presented themselves for re-employment. There were only a limited number of the latter, however, as notifications had gone out that the company would notify each man as he was wanted, within the fourteen days provided in the agreement for full resumption. The management considers that all the men will be re-engaged by early next week. A telegram was forwarded by the Federation Labour to the Prime Minister last evening as follows: “Formula for strike settlement agreed to between Trades Council and Freezing Companies was accepted by meeting of workers today—-work to be resumed forthwith. In view of the impossibility of obtaining full production without the services of the men now undergoing prison sentences arising from the strike, the Trades Council strongly urges their release, as they are needed in the industry for essential war work. The employers are prepared to confirm this statement.”
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Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 March 1942, Page 4
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489WESTFIELD DISPUTE Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 March 1942, Page 4
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