Apostle's Advice Given To Parties In Dispute

Press, Volume C, Issue 29633, 2 October 1961, Page 10

Apostle's Advice Given To Parties In Dispute

“Some measure of physical violence” was the culmination of ill-feeling between a union official and the prin cipal of a Kaitaia building firm. It led Mr A. B. Grant, the employees’ rept esen tative on the Arbitration Court, to commend to the parties, "in the light of their bellicose attitudes and pugnacious natures.” the admonition of the apostle Paul: "Let each ot you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.’ Mr Grant’s comment was made on a decision of the Court recently on an action by the Whangarei inspector of awards to recover from Worth and Weber, Ltd., £53 as a penalty for an alleged breach of the New Zealand Carpenters’ Award It was alleged that D. R Munro, secretary of th* Northland branch of the Carpenters’ Union, had been refused consent by F. Weber to enter works on which the defendant’s workers were employed.

In its recent judgment, the Court set out that when Munro visited ode job in Kaitaia he had been told by Weber that he would not be allowed to talk to the men in working hours. "It is common ground that both gentle men then indulged in a vigorous exchange of vituperative epithets.” the judg ment said. Foreman’s Instructions

Later, he went to another job where the foreman was alleged to have told Munro. “I’ve been instructed not to let you on, but I can’t keen you off.” Weber arrived as Munro was leaving, after talking to the men at the afternoon break, “and.there was immediately a resumption of hostilities which culminated in some measure of physical violence on the part of the obviously competent governing director, but with which this Court is not particularly concerned.” the judgment continued. The Court found for the defendant company, but said in its judgment: “The attitude however, in asking the secretary to refrain from interviewing the workers at any time other than during morning and afternoon breaks and the lunch hour, does not, in our view, accord with either the spirit or the letter of the award. On the other hand we are not disposed to ignore the evidence which indicates that on some . previous occasions the secretary has interviewed workers in sucu a manner as to interfere unreasonably with the employer's business.”

Official’s Difficulties In his opinion, Mr Grant said he wished Weber could have been taught a salutory lesson. He should have had enough good sense to know that a union official covering a wide district, and doing so only twice a year, could not possibly interview members in the “smoko” or luncheon breaks only. "However. neither Mr Munro nor Mr Weber showed any friendliness of co-opera tion in their attitude towar ’; one another, nor indeed any understanding of each other « problems, and. in this direction, both are deserving of critical comment" said Mr Grant ia commending the parties to the.apostie’s advice