DRIVER'S DISMISSAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 52, 3 March 1941, Page 8

DRIVER'S DISMISSAL.

COUNTY EMPLOYEE. UNION TO DISCUSS CASE. The dismissal of a driver by the Waitemata County Council hae been taken up by the. Auckland Drivers' Union and will be discussed at the annual meeting of the union to-morrow evening.

The secretary of the union, Mr. L. G. Matthews, said to-day that notwithstanding that the union had explored every conceivable avenue for an amicable sett lenient of the dispute, Uβ efforts so far had failed to bring about tlm desired result. A deputation from the Auckland Trades Council waited on the Waite.mata County Council, but a request for favourable consideration and reinstatement of the worker had been ignored. They were then compelled to refer the matter, through the national secretary, Mr. l< , . C. Allerby, to the Government. The Minister in Charge of Manpower had written to the council ahd directed it to reinstate the worker, stating that the Government was responsible for the. setting up of a tribunal to deal with cases of conscientious objectors. Since then the worker had been called on by the council to return the keys of his truck and vacate his property.

Mr. Matthews said it seemed that the council was determined to set up a separate tribunal and act in judgment on its employees whether the Government liked it. or not. The action of the council could only be construed as a direct challenge to the Government and ite administration. Personally he felt the Government should exercise its authority under the War Emergency Regulations in the eamc manner as ft had done in the past with certain sections of the trades union movement. The members of the union had now to decide whether a democratic right, granted to all conscientious objectors, was to prevail. They believed that democracy wae a principle of the present war, and it was obvious that it should also be maintained in New Zealand.

Mr. Matthews added that when the man in question went be.fore the Whangarei Manpower Committee he was reported to be "militarily unfit," and he contended that it was not necessary for his appeal to be heard by a military tribunal. Further, it,was claimed that the marking of his papers cancelled all further obligations.

The chairman of the Waitemata County Council, Mr. S. Phillips, said today that the Waitemata County Council had decided not to employ conscientious objectors.