WORKING AGAIN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 121, 24 May 1932, Page 3

WORKING AGAIN.

HUNTLY RELIEF MEN. DECISION XiAST NIGHT. AUCKLAND DELEGATES' ADVICE. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) HUNTLY, this day. The strike declared yesterday by relief workers in Huntly was shortlived. At a large meeting in the Lyceum Theatre last evening the men decided by 45 votes to 20 to declare the strike off, and work was in full swing again to-day.

Last evening's meeting was attended by live delegates from the Auckland unemployed workers' movement. In addresses to the men, the city delegatos advised the strikers to return to work. After long discussion, it was decided to put the issue to the vote and the proposal to resume work was carried by the majority stated. The men who refused relief work under the Unemployment Board yesterday totalled about 250, many of whom were miners who only recently lost their jobs. The grounds for the strike were the terms under which relief work is offered. Ono of the claims put forward by the men was that they should be paid sustenance without being required to do relief work. On the grounds that railway men would be displaced from permanent employment, the men also refused to accept railway maintenance work. Last week, which was "stand down" week, the Waikato Hospital Board offered to pay unemployed married men 12/ for one day's work under the direction of the Huntly Borough Council. The offer was at first refused, but on Saturday Mr. G. Smith, the Iluntly representative on the board, was informed that the men were willing to do the ono day's work. A number of cases of distress were brought under Mr. Smith's special "notice and he agreed to the payment of 12/ to each of the twelve women concerned, provided their husbands did a day's work.

Oil the required assurance being given the money was paid out. Later the representatives of the Huntly unemployed waited 011 Mr. Smith and informed him that their organisation had passed a resolution to the eilect that the men whose wives had received 12/ would do the day's work when the relief workers' strike has been settled. Yesterday it was suggested to Mr. Smith that married men should be paid 12/ on the same condition. The proposition was referred by Mr. Smith to other members of the Hospital Board and it was decided that 110 money would be paid unless work was done, the men's proposal being rejected.