TROUBLE SPREADS

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21367, 11 March 1941, Page 4

TROUBLE SPREADS

RAILWAY WORKERS 1600 MEN NOW IDLE WARNING BY MINISTER (By Telcgrapn.—Press Association) WELLINGTON, Monday A decision to cease work immedi- • ately and to remain away from work l until the 280 men who were susi Pended for refusing duty on Satur- [ day morning had been reinstated was . made by a large majority at a meet- . mg of employees at the Woburn railway workshops at noon today. , According to a statement made after . the meeting, which was held in the . workshops yard, about 1600 men are . concerned. The statement said that those , present were members of the ‘ Amalgamated Society of Railway i Servants and of the Railway Tradesmen’s Association. The delegates, who had interviewed the national president and secretary of each organisation, reported on the results of the interviews. They stated that the Minister of Railways, the Hon. R. Semple, had taken up an uncompromising attitude. Although the men were prepared to stay in until a decision was reached on the question of the suspension of the 280 men, the Minister’s attitude was strongly resented by the meeting, the statement continued, and it was contended that there was no other alternative but to accept the challenge thrown down by the Minister. Huge Majority Vote On a vote being taken, the men decided by a huge majority to cease work immediately. The men then walked out of the yard. There were no incidents. After the meeting, members of the executive of both the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants and the Railway Tradesmen’s Association addressed the suspended men, who were waiting outside the workshop gates. These men then decided that they would ally themselves with their fellow workers immediately the latter left the workshops. The local executives of both organisations considered that the full responsibility for any interruption in the war effort rested entirely with the Minister, in so far as the men had gone to work this morning prepared to work overtime hours, but had found that 280 of their fellow workers were refused admittance to their machines, the statement added. Mr Semple’s Views The men had always shown their loyalty and patriotism by voluntarily working long hours without the granting of overtime rates being considered by the department. The executives also stated definitely that the Minister had been advised of the men’s request for overtime rates, and his reply was contained in a letter received by the secretary of the Railway Tradesmen’s Association on February 14. “This is nothing more or less than a definite challenge to the Government,” said Mr Semple, when commenting on the decision of the railwaymen to cease work. The Minister expressed the opinion that the war regulations had been violated and Ignored. “Their own union has been ignored and they have chosen to take direct action and put a pistol to the Government’s head,” the Minister said. “It is now the turn of the Government to take action, and they will not take this lying down. The workers have acted in opposition to the advice of their own officers, and, in view of that, they have got to take all that is coming to them.” Stoppage Not Sanctioned It is understood that the stoppage was not sanctioned by either of the national organisations of the men, the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants and Railway Tradesmen’s Association, and that the men’s action was contrary to the advice of their national officers. A conference among Messrs S. W. Gasper and L. Mcllvride, president and general secretary respectively of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, and W. Paul and S. Ingram, president and secretary of the Railway Tradesmen’s Association, was held in Wellington today to discuss the dispute. It was agreed that the executive councils of both organisations should meet in Wellington on Wednesday. Night Shift Also Out Officials of the Woburn branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants state that when they went to address meetings of the night shift at the Hutt workshops at six o’clock tonight they were met by two police officers and the management and'were advised that the strike was illegal and the meetings by the men inside the workshops or outside, or anywhere, could not be held. Members of the night shift, on being informed of the action of their fellow workers, decided to join them in the strike. It is assumed by the men that the action in declaring the | strike illegal, and prohibiting the holding of meetings, means that the j emergency regulations have been in- , voked against them. “VIEWED SERIOUSLY” GOVERNMENT’S ATTITUDE I (By Telegraph.—Press Association) WELLINGTON, Tuesday Replying to a question as to whether he proposed to invoke the Emergency War Regulations against the men who ceased work at the Hutt workshops, , the Minister of Railways, the Hon. R. j Semple, stated that he had not yet discussed the matter with his col- i leagues. It was a question for Cabinet ' to decide. He reiterated his opinion that a \ definite breach of the regulations had j taken place and the matter was , viewed very seriously by the Gov- j ernment. ____