“GO SLOW"

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 154, 11 April 1930, Page 7

“GO SLOW"

FREEZING WORKS TROUBLE NORTH CANTERBURY AFFECTED. (Special to the “Guardian.’') , ' CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Most of the freezing works in Canterbury are affected as a result of the trouble which originated in Otago recently over the refusal of the management of the South Otago works to employ a certain slaughterman. At "Thomas Borthwick and Sons’ works at Belfast two meetings were held yesterday morning, but work did not cease altogether. In the afternoon the men stopped work and held meetings. At the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company’s works at Belfast there was* some trouble, although the men did not stop work entirely. They adopted a “go slow” policy, and killings were drastically reduced. Work went on as usual at the New Zealand Refrigerating Company’s works at Islington, where there was no indication of trouble. Mr C. G. Wilkin (secretary of the South Island Freezing Companies’ Association), when approached, yesterday afternoon, said he had no official information whatever.

The opinion was expressed by Mr H. C. (secretary of the New Zealand Freezing Workers’ Federation), at the end of last week, that the trouble was almost pure to spread from the south.

Rumours, which were denied by the Meat Exporters’ Association, were current to the effect that the works in New Zealand had this year decided to take a. firm stand against employing any men they considered were the cause of trouble. According to Mr Revell, there has been no difficulty on this point in Canterbury, and no men have been refused work this season. '

The slaughtermen at the . Kaiapoi works held a meeting yesterday morning, knocking off work for an hour, but then thev resumed work. In the afternoon they did not resume work until 2 o’clock instead of 1 o’clock. From 2 p.m. on they killed at the rate of only four. *ffieep an _ hour. _ The general opinion in the district is that the position will return to normal very shortly. There is a lot of stock in hand at the works, and with the continued dry weather there is not the feed to hold it.

IN SOUTH CANTERBURY.

PAREORA STOPS IN AFTERNOON

TIMARU, April 10. After two days without development further trouble was experienced at the freezing works in South Canterbury today. At Pareora, normal killing proceeded up till 11 o’clock, when the butchers ceased work and held a meeting. They resumed twenty minutes later at a “go slow” rate of four sheep per hour. A further meeting was held during the lunch hour. When the men took the board at 1 o’clock the foreman) butcher requested them to resume normal killing. - Twenty men of the permanent staff were agreeable, but the remainder, thirty-three men, held out. As work was not commenced at 2.30 the boards were washed down for the day. ’ At the Smithfield works normal kill-? ing proceeded throughout the morning. A meeting lasting two hours then was held, when the men resumed at a “go slow” rate, killing four sheep an hour, against the usual fourteen. The men gave no intimation of discontinuing work, so that it is probable on present indications that they will continue to work at the “go slow” rate to-morrow. EFFECT ON RAKAIA SALE. There was a yarding of 500 fat lambs, 150 fat ewes, and a number of stores at the Rakaia fortnightly sale yesterday. Freezing buyers were not operating owing to the go-slow policy being observed by the butchers at most or the works in Canterbury. The penned sheep were mostly lambs and have to be returned to the farms. A large number of fat lambs are ready; consequently farmers are suffering much inconvenience. There is a general shortage of feed, owing to conditions, which makes the position -worse.