HYDRO STRIKE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 134, 18 March 1948, Page 4

HYDRO STRIKE

Men Supported by

Federation

UNIONS ASK FOR MONEY (P.A.) WELLINGTON, March 17. Support for the Maraetai hydro workers was given to-day by the national executive of the Federation of Labour and by the management committee of the strikers’ union, the New Zealand Workers’ Union. Both organisations said that the strikers were defending a trade union principle and both called upon workers in all affilations throughout the country to give financial support to the men on strike.

It is believed that the federation will support a proposal that the dispute should be determined by a tribunal. The union has indicated ite willingness to accept the decision of a tribunal should one be appointed. A meeting of the Cabinet considered the dispute and proposals by the Federation of Labour to-day and will reply to the federation to-morrow. The president (Mr W. L. Wallace) and the general secretary of the Workers’ Union (Mr Carl Hair) in a statement after a meeting of the management committee of the union to-day said that they had given the committee reports on events leading to the stoppage at Mangakino over the transfer of the 'Secretary of the local branch of the union (Mr L. Clapliam). The meeting carried unanimously a motion that, after hearing reports, the committee was convinced that the Mangakino members had no other course than to resort to strike action in defence of the trade union principle involved after a secret ballot had been taken.

The committee also called on all members of the union for financial aid. Tlie committee at the same time endorsed the action of the national president and secretary in placing the matter in the hands of the Federation of Labour.

National officials pf the union later met the national executive of the Federation of Labour and stated the circumstance's! of the Mangakino dispute. The secretary of the Federation of Labour (Mr K. McL. Baxter) said to--day that after hearing Workers’ Union officials the national executive of the federation, appreciating the. trade union principle involved, decided to give whatever support might be necessary in consultation with representatives of the union. Tbe national executive decided also to appeal to all its affiliations for immediate financial assistance.

STATEMENT BY MR SEMPLE “ATTEMPT BY CLIQUE TO GET CONTROL” (P.A.) WELLINGTON, March 17. “It is tragic that so many working men should have been persuaded, or intimidated as the case might be, into striking for what probably was presented to them as a trade union principle, but which was in fact nothing more or less than an attempt by a clique to secure control of one of the nation’s biggest public works jobs,” said the Minister of Works (the lion. R. Semple), commenting to-day on the strike at Maraetai. Working men, their wives, and children were being forced to suffer hardships, said Mr Sempie, because one man was being transferred from one public works job to another. In all his long experience, of industrial struggles he had never seen anything so foolish or futile, said the Minister. On the other hand, Mr L. Clapman, the man over whose transfer the strike was called, was single, and a transfer meant no hardship to him whatever. As Minister of Works, said Mr Semple, he was charged with the responsibility of prosecuting huge hydro-electric schemes, so that the nation might have the electricity it required. The cost of those schemes ran into many millions of pounds. Convinced by Engineers When engineers on huge undertakings like Maraetai convinced him they were unable to carry on while tire man concerned was on the job, he would be shirking his responsibility to the nation if he had not taken steps to ensure that the job progressed smoothly and efficiently. The job could not be carried on without the skilful direction of the engineers, but could progress without the man concorned. The engineers had handed in their resignations, to become effective if Mr Clapliam remained on the job, and the Professional Engineers’ Association was firm in the- attitude that no engineers would work on the job if their fellows were forced to resign*. “Faced with such a position, my duty as Minister was clear,” said Mr Semple. “I merely directed that Mr Clapliam be transferred. The authority of my engineers on these huge undertakings! must be upheld.” The brutal fact, .said Mr Semple, ivas that tlie situation \vas a trial of strength between certain forces and tlie Government. The Government must win.