NO INTERVENTION BY POLICE

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21991, 15 January 1937, Page 12

NO INTERVENTION BY POLICE

Freezing Workers' "Stay-in" INSTRUCTION FROM WELLINGTON STATEMENT BY COMPANY MANAGER (PKESS ASSOCIATIOH TELEORAII.) AUCKLAND, January 14. A statement that advice had been received that the police in Auckland had been instructed from Wellington not to interfere with the men occupying the various works was made this morning by Mr A. G. Brown, general manager of the Auckland Farmers' Freezing Com- ' pany, Ltd., in discussing the employers' attitude in the dispute. Mr Brown also intimated that he had not been in touch with the Minister for Labour (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong), and he suggested that the next move .was with the Government. "We got in touch with the police last evening and asked them to remove the men forcibly from the works; but Superintendent Till advised us that instructions had been received from Wellington that they were not to interfere," said Mr Brown. "The consequence is that the men are still there and have taken charge of the works, which are full of butter. In addition, ships at the Northern Company's wharf -are full up with butter. There is plenty more butter on the way down to Auckland, and the dairy factories are continuing to manufacture produce which they won't be able to store in a day or two. I presume the farmers will be instructed that it will be no good sending their cream into the factories. "We cannot do a single thing, although we are legally and morally on side, and are abiding by the terms of the award. The only thing which we could do would be to give a voluntary increase in wages to the men, and that would be an absurd thing to do. It would simply be suggesting to the Arbitration Court that it did not know its own business, and would be tantamount to flouting the Government which set up the court. By standing by the award we are only backing up the Government. "Next Move with Government" "The next move must be from the Government," continued Mr Brown, "and if the Government won't' move the dairy factories and the farmers, of course, will have to do something. Things certainly cannot be allowed to remain as they are. It is no use the companies advertising for fresh labour, as the men at the works are on guard and would not let that labour into the works. "I have just been speaking to Wellington; but nothing is happening there, although we are expecting the Government -to do something," s.aid Mr Brown,, late this afternoon. "The Minister for Labour yesterday desired representatives of the companies to meet him, and they did meet him and discuss the position. The Minister was told, of course, that the freezing companies are not prepared to go beyond the award, and there the matter stands. The companies' representatives are remaining in Wellington in case the Minister wants to confer with them further." In commenting on the Minister's statement expressing disappointment at the attitude of the men, Mr Brown said that that would not help the companies very much unless the Minister took action and insisted on the men either turning to or leaving the job. If he did not do anything the position nevertheless could not be allowed to remain as it was in Auckland. The companies were marking time and awaiting further developments from Wellington. Loading of Produce The only refrigerated produce that arrived on the Auckland wharves today to be loaded for export overseas came from one of the firms whose employees have private agreements with the employers, under which they enjoy better pay and conditions' of work than were granted under the award. These men are stated to be disinclined to imperil their present position by supporting the workers now engaged in the "stay-in" movement. Any refrigerated produce arriving at the wharves is being loaded into the ships to which it is consigned, as the - Auckland Waterside Workers' Union has received no official advice of the dispute between the freezing workers and their employers. It is stated that the waterside workers were instructed by their Dominion executive to handle produce, before the present dispute. Their own agreement with their emloyers is now under consideration, and for that reason they are extremely unlikely to take any sympathetic action. Steamers Leave Cargo Behind Refrigerated produce was loaded this afternoon into the Federal steamer Cornwall, but no cargo arrived for the motor-ship Taranaki, or for the Port Line steamer Port Alma. Both vessels sailed this evening, the Taranaki for Opua and the Port Alma for Waikokopu, to continue Homeward loading. They left behind a portion of the allotment of refrigerated produce which they were scheduled to lift at Auckland. The Tainui is taking in a small amount of general cargo in the absence of any refrigerated produce, and is to remain here until Saturday, as originally«scheduled, even if she lies idle, in the hope that the dispute will be settled before then. The coastal .services of the Northern gteamship Company, which carries reight for about 30 dairy companies, have been seriously affected by the 'stay-in" movement. Four vessels nave been unable to discharge cargoes of butter and cheese, and two more are due to-day with large quantities of produce. It is estimated that there . will be approximately 8000 boxes of butter and 1000 boxes of cheese not in cool storase

MENS ATTITUDE CRITICISED

"HAVE IGNORED EVERYONE" MINISTER'S ATTEMPTS TO SETTLE DISPUTE (I'HESS ASSOCIATION TELEUItA.II.) WELLINGTON, January 14. Criticism of the action of the men involved in the Auckland freezing workers' dispute was made by the Minister for Labour (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong) to-day. "I have not been consulted by the Auckland Freezing Workers' Union, which is controlled by Mr W. E. Sill, either about the trouble which took place before Christmas or in the present dispute," said the Minister. "Furthermore, the union has not consulted my department. "When the 'go-slow' operations began before Christmas, I advised the men to resume normal work," he continued. "This they did and I immediately got in touch with the employers and arranged a conference between the two parties. This conference was held on January 6, but evidently proved abortive. If I had had to depend on Mr Sill. I would never have been told what really happened. " I learned the result of the conference by getting in touch with Mr L. Glover, who is. a representative: o£ tVie kers, and when I found out the result I opened up further negotiations -with the employers. ' These negotiations resulted in a conference being arranged between the Minister for Agriculture (the Hon. W. Lee Martin), the executive of freezing companies throughout the Dominion, and myself. This conference has been held up by the 'stay-in' strike. Everything seemed to be going on nicely and I was very hopeful about • bringing about a settlement, but the whole position has suddenly been changed by the attitude the men have taken up. "The position is simply this: If the men have not sufficient confidence in the Government or myself to complete the negotiations entered into with the employers, I can't help them. They have ignored everyone." Mr Armstrong said that he had sent a further communication to the men to-day. SECRETARY REPLIES TO MINISTER "I AM NOT GOING TO BE BROWBEATEN" TELEGRAM FROM MR ARMSTRONG U'HESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) AUCKLAND, January 14. "I am not going to be browbeaten by any Minister, hot even Mr Armstrong. I deny that I was responsible for the present situation, and if Mr Armstrong hasn't sufficient intelligence to see that, the best thing he ■could do would be to go on strike himself." These. statements, _ammg others, were made by Mr W. _E.. bill,, secretary to the Auckland Freezing Workers' Union, after a meeting of Westfield men. His comments, he said, were made in rebuttal of the imputations by the Minister for Labour that Mr Sill was responsible for the "stay-in" of the freezing workers. Mr Sill refused to say whether a telegram sent to him by the Minister contained an injunction that the men should at once return to work, so that a conference could be arranged among the employers and delegates from the Union. ' x ~ , „ "I have nothing to say about that, he said, "but.you can say this: in all my experience of strikes and labour troubles; I and. the men in the union I represent, have had more sympathy from previous Ministers for Labour than we have had from Mr Armstrong. ' ' "It is quite untrue to say that I was responsible for the present situation. As a matter of fact I advised the men of the consequences of their proposed action. I admit that I did _not actively oppose the men in the line they proposed to follow. If Mr Armstrong hasn't sufficient intelligence and knowledge of the position to prevent him from making statements charging me with being the cause of this 'stay-in,' he should go on strike himself. His attitude shows an utter want of sympathy with the workers in the freezing industry."

LEAD FOLLOWED BY HOROTIU MEN

TOTAL OP 1500 WORKERS NOW AFFECTED (I'KESS ASSOCIATION TK£ZOIIAai.) AUCKLAND, January 14. Fifteen hundred men in three or four of the principal freezing works in the Auckland district are now "staying-in" and occupying the respective works. The men at Horotiu having decided to take similar action to that adopted at the Southdown, Westfield, and King's Wharf works. At Horotiu the men were paid off this afternoon, and they refused to go home. With this reinforcement of 400 men, the Southdown and Westfield employees state that they have become more determined than ever to see the matter through until they have obtained what they, consider to be their due. A marked feature of. the dispute is the good behaviour of the men in the works. Last niglat, as on the previous evening, they amused themselves with cards and other games, and later quietly settled down to get what sleep they could. The cessation of work at Horotiu will have a grave effect upon the dairy industry in the Waikato unless a settlement is reached soon. INSTRUCTIONS TO AUCKLAND POLICE - ' (PEBS9 ASSOCIATION TBIiBOKAJI.) AUCKLAND,. January" 14. , When the statement of the general manager of the Auckland Farmers' Freezing Company, Ltd., that the police had been advised not to interfere in the dispute was referred to Superintendent Till, he said that instructions had been received from the Commissioner of Police. "The position is," said Superintendent Till, "that the men are' still there, behaving themselves and not interfering with the works. We are not interfering unless the men start to damage property at the works, or start something of that sort." MASS MEETING TO BE HELD IN CHRISTCHURCH The secretary of the Canterbury Freezing Workers' Union, Mr H. G. Kilpatrick, said yesterday that a mass meeting of Canterbury workers in the freezing industry had been called for Monday evening to discuss the situation which has arisen in the Auckland works, and to consider a course of action.

WORKERS REMAIN i ADAMANT '"

DECISION TO STAY IN REAFFIRMED INDUSTRY AT COMPLETE STANDSTILL PICKETING SYSTEM ARRANGED (I'RESS ASSOCIATION TBLEOBAiI.) AUCKLAND, January 14. A more serious turn of events in the freezing workers' dispute took place to-day with the decision of the hands at Horotiu to follow the lead given by Westfield, Southdown, and King's Wharf, and the affirmation by all the men of their previous decision to stay in at their works until the employers offered some solution of the trouble. Sheep antl ©tines beasts in. the Westfield and Southdown holding paddocks were returned to the consignors. Expensive plants lay idle and the various buying and selling units which form part of the sheep, cattle, and dairy produce industries were brought face to face with grave problems. The position at 10 o'clock to-night was no better than it was 24 hours before. In the morning, delegates from the works had a meeting, but apparently the main topic of discussion was the commissariat, since there were no developments between then and 3 o'clock, when Mr W. E. Sill, the union secretary, read a telegram from the Minister for Labour (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong), and it had been noticed that Quantities of food arrived after the meeting earlier in the day. A meeting of delegates in the afternoon lasted some time. The Westfield hands were then assembled in one of the large dressing rooms and they had read to them the Minister's appeal to return to work. This meeting lasted about an hour, and after the close it was announced that the union had not changed its attitude but was determined to continue. To-night the Southdown men held a similar meeting, and they adopted a like course. Like their fellows at Westfield, their passive demeanour of the previous night had not changed, in spite of the lack of hot meals and comfortable sleeping quarters. . A biting wind swept through the grounds, and the hands and faces of some of the workers were white with cold. A deep quiet, which had displaced the noise of whirring machinery and the sharp blasts of escaping steam, bore witness to the dislocation of the industry in all its branches. Many of the men at the works to-night idled their time away in games. Others were engaged in organising a picketing system under which every man would take his turn on duty. A comprehensive roster was drawn up, showing hourly changes of personel. The same procedure and pastimes were observed at the Southdown .works. The picketing system is less stringent there because the works are situated fully a quarter of a mile from the main road, and therefore it is less likely that passers will wander into the premises.

URGENCY OF THE POSITION

HANDLING OF DAIRY PRODUCE BOARD MEMBERS APPROACH MINISTER (PRESS AS3OCIATIOH TELEGEAM.J WELLINGTON, January 14. To stress the urgency of the position about the handling of dairy produce from northern factories created by the present freezing dispute in Auckland, the chairman and members of the New Zealand Dairy Board waited upon the Minister for' Labour (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong) and the Minister for Agriculture (the Hon, W. Lee Martin) this afternoon. The chairman (Mr A. J. Murdoch) outlined the position in which the northern dairy companies found themselves with the limited cool-storage accommodation at the factories, either full or rapidly filling, and said that the position would become more serious every day. The board had decided to take this opportunity of meeting the Minister and offering cooperation and assistance in endeavouring to find a solution to the problem.

The members of the board "endorsed the chairman's remarks, it being pointed out that the dairy industry, as an innocent party in the dispute, was threatened with serious loss unless some solution was rapidly found. In reply the Minister for Labour expressed appreciation of the board's action, and stated that while at that stage there was really no means by which they could co-c,perate he would keep in close touch with them, and they could rest assured that the situation was being dealt with as urgent. The board could also rest assured that there would be no wastage of produce.

EIATES OE PAY

PIG SLAUGHTERMEN'S WAGES WEBTFIELD COMPANY ISSUES STATEMENT (I'UZSS ASSOCIATION TELBGItAII.) AUCKLAND, January 14. A denial that the company had not observed the award conditions governing pig slaughtermen was made today by the management of the Westfield Freezing Company, Limited. The company states that the men have been paid correct rates. For baconers and porkers, since December 1 these men have averaged the following wages:— ~ _ , _ For the week ending December 5, each man received £9 Is 4d, working out at a rate of 9s Id an hour. For the week ending December 12, the respective amounts were £lO 7s 2d. or 9s 6d an hour. For the week ending December 19, £ll 8s or 8s lid an hour. For the week ending December 26, £7 14s 7d or 7s 3d an hour. Last week included 11 hours of "goslow," when they earned 5s an hour. For the week ending January 2, they each earned £6 9s 4d, or 9s 5d an hour. In the next week they each earned £l2 7s 4d, equalling 9s an hour. On hours worked in addition, they received £3 8s payment for three days on which statutory holidays fell, at the rate of 24s a day from the company.