MEN'S PROTESTS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 107, 8 May 1941, Page 8

MEN'S PROTESTS

NAVAL BASE ACTION

CARPENTER EXCLUDED

A stop-work meeting of protest against the action of the naval authorities in depriving a carpenter of his pass into the Naval Base, thus involving his loss of employment, was held by the building trade workers on N. Coles contract at the base yesterday afternoon. Representatives of the Carpenters and Joiners" Union to-day said the naval authorities claimed that, under the Public Safety Emergency Regulations, power is granted to the ofh'eer-in-charge at the base to withhold or cancel permission for any person to enter the dockyard, and that such action may be taken without giving any reason or explanation. On Tuesday arternoon one of the workmen, a member of the union, was refused permission to enter the area of the base, where he was employed, and the rest of the men. numbering about 70. engaged on the contract, felt insecure in their positions as they knew of no reason for the withdrawal of the pass. Representations were made to the authorities on behalf of the men in an endeavour to have the position clarified but, it was stated, without result. After considering the difficulty which had arisen, the men unanimously decided at yesterday's meeting to make the matter public as a protest against the naval authorities' action. The man concerned is stated to have been employed by the PublicWorks Department or on defence contracts for the past 1G to 18 months, and is an ex-soldier. It is contended that the action by the naval authorities does not conform with an assurance given by ihe Federation of Labour to the effect that the Public Safety Emergency Regulations would not be arbitrarily used against any trades unionist, and that any action taken would be subject to the authority of Cabinetfurther, that the national executive of the Federation would be consulted.