NOT NORMAL

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 66, 19 March 1942, Page 8

NOT NORMAL

CONFUSED POSITION

STRIKE AFTERMATH

That the of resuming full , productim after a strike lasting I only a few* days is not as easy as I Ihe lay man imagines was borne out by tiie confused position of the freezing industry in Auckland today. ,\ decision was marie by the men y e-terday alternoon to resume work this morn fng. and although the majority presented themselves 'he vaniiis companies for reemployment. only a section was engaged. The result has been more j trouble and the calling for more , \oluntcers. j When the West field Freezing | ( oinpaiiy. the largest of the group, started work this morning, the men j who have been on strike since \ 1 uesda.v presented themselves for ]re cmplo. ment. They were inI formed that < wing t«> the dislocaI t ion caihrd to all departments and I the fact that new arrangements had i had to he made regarding stock it | would he impossible to employ all the men immediately. The men stated that thev would not accept I engagement until all were employed. As a consequence none were enj gaged. Skeleton Teams The works carried on witn the skeleton teams working vesterdav and with volunteers, while as further volunteers arrived they were employed. The number o" permanent empjoyn s working was stated to be negligible. That was the position at 10 o'clock, when a meeting was in progress. At this stage the position was not clear at Hellaby's works at Westfield. Here the cannerv girls have not been affected by the dispute and have continued working normally. It was stated, however, that there was nothing to kill owing to stock having been disposed of. However, the management has made an appeal ' for men for all departments, including killing, freezing, refrigerated stores, bacon curers, general labour and for other activities at the works. The only works at which conditions were approaching normal were the Southdown, King's wharf and export wharf plants of the Auckland Farmers' Freezing Company, Ltd. When the statfs presented themselves for re-engagement this morning practically all were employed and work was started. At Southdown there was a large quantity of stock, and all the labour could be absorbed. In the meantime volunteers .who were engaged yesterday were standing by, only a few actually working.