UNION WARNED

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23479, 6 November 1941, Page 6

UNION WARNED

LYTTELTON HARBOUR WORKERS STOP-WORK MEETING IN SEPTEMBER A letter of warning has been sent to the Lyttelton branch of the Harbour Board Employees’ Union by the Labour Department, because of a stopwork meeting held by the branch on September 4. This information was received by the Lyttelton Harbour B. rd yesterday in a letter from the officer in charge of the department (Mr R. T. Bailey), in reply to a complaint by the board. The board, after a discussion at a previous meeting, wrote to Mr Bailey that the stop-work meeting, between 1 p.m. and 2.15 p.m., had caused a stoppage of much of the board’s work and also of work on cargo ships. Mr Bailey replied that inquiries had been made, and in view of the circumstances a letter of warning had been sent to the union. The attention of the union had been drawn to the 1939 emergency regulations dealing with strikes and lock-outs It was rather strange that this was the only action taken by the department, said Mr R. T. McMillan. "I do not think the board would have referred it to them if a reply like that had been anticipated.” Mr R. E. Cairns asked what else could have been dene. “The only thing left after that is to refer it to the Gestapo and shoot the lot.” he said.. Mr T. H. McCombs, M.P., explained that this was the department’s standard procedure. If the offence were continued, then, and only then, would a prosecution be brought. He had not known it was a standard procedure, said Mr McMillan. That made it different.