STRIKES IN SINGAPORE

Press, Volume C, Issue 29672, 16 November 1961, Page 11

STRIKES IN SINGAPORE

“Great Harm To People”

Mr T. R. Pollard. director of the Canterbury Univeratty Industrial Development Department, believes that the recent strikes in Singapore ere doing great harm to the People Involved. "whettser the 12 big strikes while I was there were Communist-inmired or not i don't know, but it is certain that the main losers were the striker* themselves after that, the people of Singapore." be said on his return to Chriatchwrcti. “There are about 400,000 People in Singapore without regular employment, yet incxperienced union secretaries •r« tor ever inciting their members to strike for more pay.” said Mr Pollard. “The Chinese are reallv wonderful workers and eould "*?** win higher pay by tnelr own remarkable perlyrmanoes They acquire wHa rabidly and work at a pace I have never seen in New Zealand. They are prepared to work 14 hours a day. seven days a week,” said Mr Pollard. Kmergeney Job «w a gang at men and women doing an emergency repair job at the Tengab airstrip. They started at 7 p.m. and they were still working when I left at 2 am. About 20 of them were using pneumatic dribs, air compressors. ‘tucks, arsd cement mixers under spotlights. They never let up and, significantly, there was much laughter,” Mr Pollard. "Remember, they had d'One a day’s work be?we they met this emergercv” Mr PoHard said his only complaint againet Singapore us « of radios. Zr T 0 * 1 .- Hke radio in New Zealand and I like commercial radio even leas. But in Singapore the volume is always turned up full all day and all night.” for d of Chinese dimer Mr PoHard insisted o«» a Chinese meal for a farewell dinner which he gave for those who helped him during his visit. He offered them another treat—toheroa soup which h- had taken t» nn ?L from New Zealand. He did not admit that it was almost unobtainable in New £ e e ; *r.d and that it was the ffrst he had tasted for five years.