CALL FOR LABOUR

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 88, 24 January 1942, Page 2

CALL FOR LABOUR

AUCKLAND MUNICIPAL ABATTOIR THE UNION DEREGISTERED (P.A.) AUCKLAND, January 23. A call for labour to man the Auckland Municipal Abattoir at Westfield was authorised by the Mayor (Mr J. A. C. Allum) to-night, after receiving advice from the Minister for Labour (the. Hon. P. C. Webb) that the works had been declared an essential industry after the National Service Emergency Regulations, and that the abatttoir branch of the Workers’ Union had been deregistered. In the event of sufficient labour offering it is intended to reopen the works on Monday. The Minister’s action in bringing the industry within the regulations is in compliance with a request made to him recently by the Auckland City Council.

Difficulties in staffing the works were accentuated by the dispute created when the labourers sought an increase in wages. The council refused to entertain the claims, and after several interruptions in the work this weeks the works were closed down on Wednesday under the instructions of the Mayor. The deregistration of the works branch of the union automatically cancels the award governing the payment and conditions of employment of workers at the abattoir.

It was confirmed by the Conciliation Commissioner (Mr C. L. Hunter) that the deregistration applies only to the works concerned in the dispute and has no effect on other works.

“It is the intention of the council to engage labour at award rates of pay and conditions, notwithstanding the Minister’s decision,” stated the Mayor. The abattoir manager, Mr W. R. Rugg, said that the normal complement of the staff at the works was 27 slaughtermen and 35 labourers. “The prospect of the works resuming killing of stock will be welcomed by city butchers. Much of the stock when they bought at Wednesday’s stock sale is being held in the abattoir paddocks, and buchers had to draw supplies of meat from the local freezing works to-day for their week-end trade. With the exception of some lines, such as mutton, practically all shop requirements were filled by the works. There was a tendency for housewives to make their week-end purchases early in the day, and the shops were exceptionally busy. Except for some limitation in the choice of cuts and meats in some shops there was no inconvenience caused to the public.”

REASON FOR DEREGISTRATION. “LITTLE BANDS OF WRECKERS.” (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Jan. 23. The announcement that that section of the Freezing Workers’ Union employed at the Auckland City abattoirs had been deregistered to-day was made to-night by the Minister for Labour (the Hon. P. C. Webb). The Government, he added, took a very serious view of these hold-ups and though it would not flinch in its determination to do justice to those employed, it would at the same time insist on the law being observed, Mr Webb said. The freezing works industry had been declared an essential industry under the National Service Emergency Regulations. That might he considered by some to be an extreme step, hut the circumstances in which the country was now placed { demanded nothing short of complete unity in the war effort, for every home was in mourning because of the lost ones, while others were sacrificing their positions and their opportunities, indeed, their very lives. The least the workers of this country could do was to give of their best in industries in which they were engaged. Their best was little enough compared with what the men at the front were going through to preserve the liberty that gave right to unite, to maintain a standard unparalleled in the history of the world. “I am positive that the actions of the few responsible for instigating these troubles does not meet with the desires’of the great mass of workeis of this country,” said Mr Webb. “I woulct again, appeal tto sober-minded men and women to realise that there must be only one Government. The Government will not tolerate a continuation of these st-op-work tactics, and any union that violates will be immediately deregistered, and those responsible for the hold-up in industry will he excluded from working in it during the duration of the war.” Asked if lie attributed these industrial disputes and hold-ups to Communist activities, Mr Webb said “certainly not a veal Communist.” He added if a real Communist was not fighting for Stalin and his Communist comrades in Russia, he would be pushing on with the work to assist them all lie could from this long distance. Many of our leading Communists joined up with the forces when Russia entered the war.

"The White-Anters.’ Some of the “white-anters” might flatter themselves that they were Communists, hut such a type would not he tolerated in Russia five minutes. In Russia the Communists were toiling and putting up one of the most wonderful fights in the world’s history to pre serve those ideals that inspired them. These men who claimed, before Russia entered the war, that they were prepared to sacrifice their last- drop of blood in the fight for Communistic principles were now doing their utmost to hinder New Zealand’s war effort, and to that extent “scab” on their own comrades in Russia as well as on the trade union movement.

“Our trade union comrades in Gyeat Britain, Australia, Russia and America are united in their determination to work and fight for the freedom of

democracy,” said Mr Webb. “The Government will do its utmost to cooperate with the trade union movement, which is doing a great job of work in the nation’s war effort, but it will not tolerate these little bands of wreckers while this little country is in very grave danger. Whoever stands in the way, whether employer or worker, will be brushed aside and the law introduced by the Labour Government in defence of labour principles will l>e enforced to the limit. “1 earnestly hope that common sense will prevail and that these few cuckoos in the trade union movement will find their proper level on the outside,” he ended.