DAIRY FACTORY DISPUTE

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25081, 13 January 1947, Page 6

DAIRY FACTORY DISPUTE

WORKERS CONSIDER STRIKE ISSUE REPORT OF ASSESSORS ’ AWAITED (P.A.) AUCKLAND, January 12. A stop-work meeting of dairy factoryxemployees took place in the Waikato yesterday, and resolutions were passed to the effect that, unless the report of delegates who had acted as workers’ assessors in connexion with the conciliation proceedings held in Wellington last week was favourable, a strike in the industry would take place next Thursday. A meeting of the executive of the Dairy Factory Employees’ Union will be held at Frankton to-morrow night, at which delegates will submit their report. An offer of an increase in wages, made before the Conciliation Commissioner in Wellington by the employers’ assessors, was not accepted, and the workers’ assessors asked for an adjournment of the proceedings. This motion was opposed by the employers’ assessors and was carried by the casting vote of the commissioner (Mr S. Ritchie). There is a general feeling in Waikato that a strike will take place. As. the employers’ organisation has recommended that no effort should be made by farmers to process their products, the losses that would accrue in the industry would be exceedingly heavy. They would have been heavier had the stoppage occurred in the peak of the season in November .and December.

Dairy factory workers in Canterbury are awaiting the report of the president of the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Dairy Factory Workers’ Union (Mr G. Morrow), who attended the Conciliation Council proceedings at Wellington as an employees’ assessor. The secretary of the Canterbury branch (Mr A. G. Williams) said last evening: ’ “The local executive will have a meeting shortly to discuss the position, and any decision made there will have to be submitted to the union as a whole.”