FREEZING WORKERS' STRIKE.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 69, 21 March 1919, Page 6

FREEZING WORKERS' STRIKE.

BTSPTJTE AT WEST_"_E__D_ j OVER THIRTY MEN CEASE WORK. j NO SIGN OF SETTLEMENT. j A.- the result of dissatisfaction with wa.es and other labour condition.'- a . strike has taken place amongst a section of the freezing employees at the Westfield Works which has had the crTei-t of holding up a shipment of frozen me_t which it was proposed to com- ■ mence loading on an overseas vessel yesterday morning. Some thirty or fortymen are participating, and "though it ■ias thought yesterday that there would be a resumption of work this morning, such was not the rase. Last November the men employed in the freezing industry were granted an all-round increase of .*> per rent as the result of a conference in Wellington. This was conditional on a . onferencc being held between April and August this year with a view to framing a Dominion award. The fact that the employees of the Whakatane '■ Freezii g Works have received an in- . crease in wages recently has evidentlybeen the incentive to the present trouble. Mr. N'iall, secretary of the Freezing Works Kmployees' Federation, interviewe.l the men yesterday, and although they w.-re advised to wait the deliberaI tions of the council, they ,v_ re obdurate lin their intention to cease work. The manager of the Westfield Freezing |! ompanv. when interviewed by a "St-r" 1 representative this morning said that , consequent on a meeting held on Wedn.-- lay night, the men decided not to start loading for the vessel in question on Thursday morning unless certain demands for substantial increases in pay w.-re .ranted immediately, -ssuranee was I given that if representations were made in the proper way through the officers of the Federation they would have imme- | rii.ite eon* deration. It wis also ex- ; plained that the genera! rp-retary of t'.ie IKederition was in Auckland, and it I seemed only reasonable to refer the mat- | ter to him in the morning before strik-

in.' and '-oldir.g up the Imperial meat supplies just when shipping facilities .-ere improving. The agreement of the recent conference in Wellington was also referred to the men. who, however, re-fu.-e.l to take the siifrjjc.teJ action. Several meetings were held with the Auckland Council of the New Zealand Freezing Workers an 1 Allied Federation, who al-o advised the men to -eturn to wor"-.

It is understood that in other district f-ee,-*i;i_ work-. Southdown and Horotiu, althoii-.: working under unsatisfactory conditions, the men have agreed to let their -riev.-.n -es stand over until the conference in Wellington, which has been arranged for April 2.