GLASSWORKS IDLE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 20, 3 November 1938, Page 7

GLASSWORKS IDLE

TROUBLE OVER AN AWARD. FEAR OF REPERCUSSIONS. (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, November 2. As a protest against the delay in securing a fixture in the Court of Arbitration for the hearing of the glass workers’ dispute, the 150 members of tlio Auckland Glass Workers’ Union went on strike this morning. It is considered that the strike, unless a satisfactory settlement is made, will have most serious repercussions in a number of industries.

A statement was made tiiis morning that the award expired on October 21, and the dispute was immediately brought before a Conciliation Commissioner by the union. A; settlement was reached on several points; but the major issue, that of an increase in wages, was referred to the Arbitration Court. When the union applied to the Court, officials were advised that they would be unable to secure a bearing for six months. In the meantime the management of the firm involved, tlie Australian Glass Manufacturers’ Company, Ltd., Penrose. offered 2s a week all-round increase in wages. The men called a stopwork meeting on Thursday of last week and instructed the secretary and their delegates to meet the management and put. an alternative proposition for wages before them. This was not accepted by the management. A further stopwork meeting was called for Monday last, hut was abandoned because Mr W. E. Anderson, the employers’ representative, was not available, and the meeting was held last evening, when delegates from the union and the employers held a conference. A further stop-work meeting took place this morning, .and the men did not return to work. , Manager’s Statement. The manager (Mr W. Kearns) said this morning that he was notified by the president of the union (Mr E. Gimblett) and the secretary (Mr J. Purtell) that at a stop-work meeting the men had decided to go on strike, and that a further meeting would be held at 8 o’clock to-morrow morning. It was also stated that the union had decided to leave firemen and batch-mixers at their posts until a further course of action was decided on at to-morrow’s meeting. “The trouble comes at a most unfortunate time,” said Mr Kearns. “Our trade is more or less seasonal, and the bulk of our customers are depending on large deliveries at this time of the year. The difficulties that users of bottles will haw- to face if the trouble is prolonged will be easy to imagine. The principal consumers are breweries, condiment manufacturers, wholesale and retail chemists, and the Christmas toilet and perfume- trade. If the trouble extends, tlie milk trade will become involved, and, in short,- every bottle user in the country will bo affected.”

Air Kearns pointed out that the stoppage would have serious consequences. The present output was 5000 gross bottles a week,and his firm was the only one in the Dominion manufacturing bottles. At present they were carrying on with a low output by means of a skeleton staff. Normally' there were four units making bottles, and to-day only two were in use, and the skeleton staff was split up into shifts to enable the plant to be manned. Another industry to be affected was the manufacture of corrugated cardboard for cartons, these being used for packing wine, beer anti spirits, and many’ commercial commodities, replacing wooden cases to a large extent. The only factory in New Zealand was operated at Penrose by' the firm now affected by the strike, and the employees were members of tho Glassworkers’ Union, so that work was at a standstill. Wages Discussed. Mr Kearns claimed that the company was .paying higher wages than in other industries, and he understood that the men’s grievance was not against the company, hut against the Arbitration Court. The wage in 1931 was £4 2s 6d, and the stated policy of the Court was to allow an increase of 5s a week on the 1931 figure to meet the increased cost of living. AVJien the last award was before the Court, ail increase of 4s was made, bringing the rate to £4 6s 6d. On this figure the employers now offered an additional 2s, making the figure £4 8s 6d, which was claimed to he Is a week above what would have been granted on the basis of the pronouncement made by the Court. Furthermore the 1931 figure paid to glassworkers was held to be above the rates ruling at that time* in other industries.

According to a member of the union, at the stop-work meeting last week a resolution was carried that work be resumed pending a confereixce within 48 hours. The men were not advised that any conference had been held. Yester-i day afternoon a pamphlet was circulated among the men, calling a stppwork meeting for to-day to discuss business for the proposed conference. The pamphlet, he said, stated that tho meeting would also consider tlie advisability of cancelling the registration of the Auckland Glassworks Employees’ Union under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. A meeting was held this morning, and a resolution was passed that the men adjourn the meeting until 8 a.in. to-mor-row to allow the employers’ representative to secure a fixture for the hearing of the dispute by tlie Arbitration Court. It was stated that Mr Andersoit would appear in Court at 10 a.m. to-day, when be would make tlie application. The resolution was carried by a big majority. An amendment to the resolution was put to the meeting suggesting that the men carry on work till 8 a.m. to-morrow ponding a definite decision, but it was defeated on the vote of the majority', only a very small minority being in favour of tho amendment.