FREEZING WORKERS

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30045, 1 February 1963, Page 10

FREEZING WORKERS

First Steps In National Union (N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Jan. 31. The formation of a New Zealand freezing workers’ union was agreed to today by freezing workers’ delegates. The decision comes after several years of unity talks. Freezing workers are now divided into five industrial organisations. The delegates, claiming to represent 20.000 freezing workers, met at the Wellington Trades Hall, but not all works were represented—there were no delegates from the Whakatu union or the Wellington Freezing Workers’ Association, comprising the Patea, Wanganui, and Tomoana sheds.

The meeting was convened by the Federation of Labour and the Freezing Workers’ Association. All sheds were invited. The decision to form a national union was by "an overwhelming majority,” said the president of the F.O.L. (Mr F. P. Walsh). “Rules circulated before the meeting have been adopted with minor amendments brought down by the rules committee.” All that remains now is for the 45 delegates to get the meeting’s decisions approved by their members. Mr Walsh said he expected “no trouble at all” with this. Delegates had pledged themselves to do all they could to get the decisions approved.