AIRMEN’S STRIKE ENDED

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24986, 21 September 1946, Page 6

AIRMEN’S STRIKE ENDED

RELEASES FROM STATIONS

MEN INTERVIEWED BY OFFICERS

(P.A.) AUCKLAND. September .20. The strike of airmen at three Auckland stations of the R.N.Z.A.I?. ended to-day. A beginning was made witn the releasing of a total of 270 men who were either unwilling to accept the conditions of service or who were, in the opinion of their respective commanding officers, unsuitable to retention The remainder of the strikers, totalling about 360, returned to work, having been idle since Tuesday in support of their demand for a 40-hour five-day week. Some of the airmen released were cleared from their stations in time for them to fly south by the routine Dakota service from Whenuapai early this afternoon. Whenuapai, Hobsonville. and Mechanic’s Bay will have completed the releases of all the men concerned by to-morrow afternoon. Each man has been paid and sent on seven day’s leave and will be called later for medical boarding. The commanding officers at the three stations were kept busy interviewing airmen who had been among the strikers but who had changed their minds after the time limit given had expired and had then indicated that they wished to remain in the service. The commanders had been given authority to release or retain men in this category and, at Whenuapai, Group Captain C. C. Hunter interviewed 75 men, retained 84 of them ’and released the remaining 11. The total releases at Whenuapai will be 122. Releases from Hobsonville will be 104. Wing Commander A. E. Willis interviewed 50 airmen and decided to retain them all. Of the men leaving this station. 60 per cent, are 1946 enlistments and an additional 30 per cent, joined only in 1945. No noncommissioned officers or W.A.A.F.’s were included, but a number of pupils at the Technical Training School were among those released. The smallest number of releases will be at Mechanic’s Bay, where 104 of the airmen under Wing Commander A. N. Breckon were originally on strike. Of this total only 43 finally elected to be released and the remaining 61 were hll retained. Although the majority of the men released were new enlistments, it was stated that the full effect on the service of their release could not be estimated until a detailed survey had been made of the ranks and trades of the men who had left. When this had been done, necessary adjustments would be made by postings from other stations and essential posts that had become vacant would be filled. No difficulty was experienced at Any of the stations in the actual releasing of men. Those who earlier had accepted their clearance papers, but were refusing to make the necessary calls at different sections to have’their clearances completed adopted a fresh attitude and releases proceeded in routine fashion. All three stations will work to-morrow, the first Saturday sine? the appearance of the Air Department order that precipitated the strike at Whenuapai. A large proportion of the station strength will be on duty, mainly to assist in effecting the release of airmen who are leaving. Only minimum staffs will be retained at Hobsonville and Mechanic’s Bay to maintain essential services A small number of airmen released from Mechanic’s Bay are reported to have called at the Army recruiting office in Auckland to offer themselves as recruits'. It Is understood none has so far been accepted.