ADVISED TO WORK

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 22, 5 November 1938, Page 6

ADVISED TO WORK

OTAHUHU RAILWAY STRIKERS. DECISION OF A CONFERENCE. FED ER AT lON INTERVENES. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, November 4. The principal developments in Wellington to-day in the strike of employees at the Otahuhu railway workshops were the entry into the dispute of the New Zealand Federation of Labour and the departure of representatives of the federation, the New Zealand Railway Tradesmen’s Association, and the Boiler-makers’ Federation, for Auckland to-night. It appears from information that can be obtained in Wellington that the national offices in Wellington of the organisations concerned have been concentrating their attention on confining the dispute to Otahuhu and are moving in the direction of obtaining an early settlement there.

This morning a conference was held between representatives of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, the Railway Tradesmen’s Association, and the national executive, of the Federation of Labour to which representatives of the Boiler-makers’ Federation, a union which includes men employed hv the Government as well as men employed by private firms, were later admitted. it was decided to advise the meh at the Otahuhu workshops to return to work under the conditions laid down by the Minister for Railways (the Hon. I). G. Sullivan). The Minister had given an assurance that immediately that was done negotiations would be, opened. After the conference officers of the national organisations went to the Hutt workshops, where a. meeting of the 2000 employees was being held at the call of the local combined committee of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants and the Railway Tradesmen’s Association. Mr F. P. Walsh, a member of the National Council of the Federation of Labour, addressed the men £iul acquainted them of the decision of the conference.

Tin.- meeting confined itself to parsing a motion of sympathy, and decided to leave the handling of the dispute to the Federation of Labour.

STATEMENT BY COMMITTEE. WORKS DESERTED DURING DAY. AUCKLAND, Nov. 4. Intervention by the National Executive of the Federation of Labour to end the strike at the Otahuhu railway workshops, where 1600 men have been idle since Wednesday, was decided upon to-day, and members of tho executive are to arrive in Auckland tomorrow morning to discuss matters with the men. A special mass meeting is to be held at the workshops at 11 o’clock in tho morning. There was no material change in the situation when the men assembled at the workshops at the usual hour this morning. After holding a mass meeting and hearing reports from tho committee acting for them tho men departed for their homes, and by 10 a.m. the works presented a deserted appearance. Only apprentices and a few men on essential duties remained. The men’s determination to stand firmly behind their claim, and assurances of support from other centres were mentioned in an official statement issued by the men’s committee shortly after noon. The statement read:—■

“At 7.30 a.m. the men reported at the workshops prepared to resume work pending official negotiations, provided the department agreed to allow the men to resume work under the conditions prevailing before Wednesday. A mass meeting was subsequently held at 8.30, at which the men again expressed their determination to remain solid.

“A report was received from the delegates to the Auckland Council of the Federation of Labour, which has considered the ease and, given tb..e men its unanimous support and communicated to the national executive of the federation in Wellington the justness of the men’s claim. We have official communication from responsible officials in Wellington that the matter is being placed before the Minister for Railways (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) by the national executive of the Federation of Labour, and we hope for an immediate settlement as a result of negotiations. Reports have been received this morning from other centres expressing their solidarity toward the men at Otahuhu.”

When the men dispersed it was felt that nothing further would, eventuate until Monday morning, as the five-day week is in vogue at the workshops. The men had arranged to return at the usual hour on Monday to receive reports on any developments in the week-end. During the afternoon the Disputes Committee received advice that the members of the national executive of the Federation of Labour were travelling from Wellington by the Limited and desired to meet the men to-morrow morning. Steps were immediately taken to convene a meeting at the workshops.

NO MOVE AT ADDINGTON. OFFICIAL OPINION WITHHELD. CHRISTCHURCH, November 4. No official opinion on the strike at Otahuhu has been expressed by employees of the Addington workshops, and the men were continuing work as usual according to inquiries made yesterday. Advice has been received from the A.S.R.S. headquarters in Wellington that its members, among whom are included a proportion of the employees

at Addington, should remain at work pending negotiations. No action lias been taken locally by the Railway Tradesmen’s Association, to which other employees at the workshops belong. Any action in this ease also will depend on the advice of headquarters in Wellington.