FREEZING WORKS STRIKE

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26886, 12 November 1952, Page 10

FREEZING WORKS STRIKE

PROPOSAL TO HOLD CONFERENCE

NO ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY GOVERNMENT YET

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. November 11.

A compulsory conference between workers and employers was suggested to the Minister oi Labour (Mr W. Sullivan) when representatives of the striking freezing works fitters and carpenters saw him yesterday. Mr Sullivan did not agree to the proposed conference to be called by the Government under the Industrial Relations Act. It is understood he did not wish to commit the Government to this course while the strike continued and no Government action is expected for a few days. Freezing works are expected to advertise soon for staff to fill the vacancies caused by the strikers so that the start of the export killing season is not unduly delayed.

Two conciliation proceedings affecting the strikers are set down for hearing in Wellington next week. One is the main freezing workers’ award, which the employers want settled before reviewing tradesmen’s rates. The other conciliation concerns the factory engineers’ award, which covers the striking fitters.

The workers argued before striking that they were entitled to the latest 14s Id a week included in this award, but freezing works employers claimed the fitters had already received a bigger increase. The union states it is considering contesting in the Court the employers’ refusal to pay the 14s Id. Representatives of the strikers who were called to Wellington by the New Zealand Engineering Workers’ Union have returned to their centres, and are to report to the strikers on their meeting.

TEMPORARY WORK SOUGHT

FREEZING WORKS TRADESMEN (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND. November 11. The statement that tradesmen in freezing works and cool stores who are on strike are now looking for other jobs was confirmed in Auckland today. It is thought that not many of them will be unemployed by the end of this week. -•

Believing that other tradesmen will not seek jobs at freezing works the unions have not declared them “black ” It is expected that for most striking tradesmen the new jobs will be temporary, and that when settlement has oeen reached in the dispute they will go back to their old jobs. ELECTRICAL WORKERS’ ATTITUDE STATEMENT EXPECTED TODAY (New Zealand Press Association) NEW PLYMOUTH, November 11. “We have no statement or comment to make.” said the secretary of the North Island Electrical Workers’ Union (Mr W. F. Campbell, of New Plymouth) this evening, after a meeting of the union’s executive officers. The question whether North Island electrical workers would strike in support of the section of freezing works employees at present on strike was to have been determined as the result of a ballot, according to an earlier statement by Mr Campbell. Mr Campbell added that a statement could be expected from the union some time tomorrow.