GO-SLOW POLICY OF CARPENTERS

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25427, 25 February 1948, Page 6

GO-SLOW POLICY OF CARPENTERS

STATEMENT BY MR LANGLEY REPLY TO MR FRASER “I am sorry I did not make it clear that the national council of the Federation of Labour sought a clarification of the regulations in order that an application for a further wage increase could be made, taking relevant factors, such as increased production, into consideration,” said the president of the New Zealand Carpenters’ Union (Mr F. L. Langley) yesterday replying to a statement made by the Prime Minister (Mr P. Fraser) at Dunedin. “What I tried to do was to give the council’s reason for such necessary action, namely, that workers’ wages are of no more value today than when we received £3 or £4 a week. “I am unable to find anywhere in my reply to the Prime Minister that I had said, or inferred, ‘the futility of all remuneration increases for the mass of the people since the Labour Government came into office,’ ” Mr Langley said. “I quoted the mover, who referred to wages, meaning wages of workers. can and will be provided showing that the existing price index is not a true measuring rod with which to gauge the standard of living. This is one major reason why every housewife knows that the benefits gained under Labour administration are rapidly being lost through higher prices and the increase in cost of living. over which there appears no real control. Had the Government acted on the recommendations of the Federation of Labour on post-war stabilisation this position might have been rectified. The Government, however, failed to take the necessary action; let this be a timelv warning that only drastic action on the part of the Government to arrest this position can save them from further disfavour. “With reference to my attitude toward law and democracy, I claim, with other workers, that where the law is against the best interests of the people we have the democratic right to protest effectively. Only thus can we hope to maintain democratic freedom. and only by such efforts have anti-working class laws of the past been repealed. “With reference to members of the Communist Partv named by the Prime Minister. I have worked with only three of them in their official positions as representatives of the Carpenters’ Union, and whatever their political affiliations may be. there is one outstanding fact: they have never spared themselves in the interests of the union members and the workers as a whole.

“The Prime Minister should have a higher regard for the intelligence of the workers of New Zealand than to believe that they can be mobilised into industrial action without a just and sufficient reason.” Mr Langley said in conclusion. “This is one of the reasons why I said that the Government is blind to the real situation of the workers, as in the present case. A just and logical claim to restore the wage rates of carpenters and joiners with those of other sections of workers in the building industry is being misconstrued to divert the workers from the real issue at stake.” When asked if it was true that detectives had questioned him about the go-slow policy of carpenters, Mr Langley said he had no comment tc make. SUPPORT FOR TRADES COUNCIL MEETINGS OF RUBBER WORKERS Employees at two rubber factories at Woolston, at stop-work meetings on' Monday afternoon, pleaded support to the Canterbury Trades Council in its attitude on the intention of the Government to prosecute spokesmen of the Carpenters’ Union. The meetings, which were held at the Marathon and Empire factories, were organised and addressed by the president of the Rubber Workers’ Union (Mr T. Auld) and job delegates. Each meeting lasted about 15 minutes. The following resolution was carried unanimously at each meeting:— » ‘“fiiiat this stop-work meeting of rubber workers strongly condemns the Prime Minister (Mr P. Fraser) and the Minister of Labour (Mr A. McLagan) for using the threat of prosecution against the spokesmen of the Carpenters’ Union. We pledge ourselves to carry out any instruction of the Canterbury Trades Council to meet the event of any such prosecution taking place.”

INQUIRIES BY LABOUR department

The Labour Department was making routine inquiries into stop-work meetings which were reported to have been held by rubber workers recently, Mr C. P. Collins, of the department, said yesterday. Mr Collins said his department was always interested in anything which departed from an even tenor in industry. The secretary of the Rubber Workers’ Union and Of the Canterbury Trades Council (Mr A. B. Grant) said that a Labour Department inspector had made inquiries about the meetings from the council yesterday.

SUPPORT FROM STOREMEN AND PACKERS

The committee of management of the Canterbury Storemen’s, Packers’, and Warehousemen’s Union at its monthly meeting carried a resolution agreeing to support the Carpenters’ Union in any action it might take through the Federation of Labour to improve the standard of living of the workers. The resolution also “deplores the attitude of the Minister of Labour in his to prosecute the officers of the Carpenters’ Union.” ONE DAY STRIKE PROPOSED ACTION IF UNION MEMBER IS PROSECUTED (P.A.) AUCKLAND, February 24. A recommendation to the New Zea- | land executive of the Carpenters’ and Joiners’ Union to call’a one-day protest strike in the. e "ent of any member of the union being prosecuted was agreed to at a meeting of the Auckland executive of the union and job delegates. This was announced by Mr D. McEwen, secretary of the Auckland union.