OTAHUHU DISPUTE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 282, 29 November 1938, Page 10

OTAHUHU DISPUTE.

"NOTHING WAS GAINED."

INI-'U K.MK OF A SECTION.

Replieo to inquiries made among those affected by tin- recent hold-up at the railway workshop* nt Otahnhii suggest that u «et of conditions almost identical with those stated to cxict at Westfield wore present. The decision to stop work was made at n ina.«« meeting of the men in tho morning, the vote being by a show of hands.

"Tho majority of us <lid not want to strike,'' .said one of the men. "We had no sympathy with the *mall knot of rmii win) were trying to foment trouble. Actually throe men put up their hands to vote aguinet the decision, but they were howled down, and the vote was declared ti> be unanimous. All the men en me out. They ha 4 no choice. The Htrike was held to be a victory for the men. Perhaps it was, in demonstrating that 1.-'OO men can stick solidly together in a cause they know little about, but which they are told \t> for the benefit of their fellow workers.

"On the other ha ml. wlint \vn« gained? Precisely nothing! Wo nil lost two and a linlf days' wag»-« and, T think, a share of the sympathy of the public. I think it will l>e a long time brforp thern will be another strike about ouch a trivial thing njrnin. The sane clement at the workshops—and this is greatly in the majority—does not believe in nuch irresponsible strikes. They see now that they were influenrod by a small element, composed for the most part of Communists." Desire for Purge. "There are going to be changes ont there soon; we are not going to be dictated to by a crowd of Communists," declared another worker. "The statement in the 'Star' about a purge ie correct, and the sooner it is done the better. Moot of the men at the workshop* are 100 per cent behind that statement, and as soon ns they are shown how to carry out this purge they will do it. After all, they are ordinary, decent working men, and, given fnir treatment. they will give decent service. Most of them stand for Labour, but only a handful for Communism." .

Another man stated that hart a secret ballot been taken there would not have been a strike. Hβ pointed out that many of the men had not had any say in the decision to strike. These were the nightshift worker*, who did not know anything about the trouble until they arrived in the evening and were told by the pickets that there was a strike on, and that they could go back home.