MEN DISMISSED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 59, 10 March 1936, Page 8

MEN DISMISSED.

VICTIMISATION ALLEGED. DENIAL BY COUNCIL. (From Our Own Correspondent.) COROMANDEL, this day. A letter received by the Coromandel County Council from Mr. J. Thorn, M.P., yesterday alleged that some workmen had been victimised, by the council. In his letter Mr. Thorn stated tliat lie had received representations from four Colville workmen who stated that owing to their request to attend a meeting on a Saturday afternoon they had been dismissed from their employment on repair work on county roads. The men had offered to make up their time the following week. The letter expressed the hope that the council would immediately cancel the dismissal of the men and allow them to return to work. One of the workmen concerned stated he had asked the riding member, Mr. H. C. Jackson, for leave to have Saturday afternoon off, but the request had been refused. The speaker said he did not actually tell Mr. Jackson of the meeting, but he understood Mr. Jackson knew the circumstances. The men went to the meeting and were told on the following Monday that their services were not required until further notice. They had stood down the whole of the following week, but had been notified that they could start again yesterday morning. Mr. Jackson said he had no notice of the meeting and as the men had lost time through wet weather he considered lie was right in ordering them to work their full 40 hours for the week. He had experienced trouble in controlling the men in the past and he thought that a stand should be made. ' Mf. A. J. Denize said the workers were not treating the council or the ratepayers properly. He deprecated their writing to the member for the district on the matter. The council decided to reply to Mr. Thorn regretting the incident and stating that no victimisation was intended and that the men had now been reinstated.