Go-slow ‘Intolerable’

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32222, 14 February 1970, Page 48

Go-slow ‘Intolerable’

\ f.V.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND, ' February 13. The present intoler- J able go-slow in the freez- ( ing industry appeared I aimed at the farming 1 community, which was ’ al ready suffering , through drought, the president of the Auck- ' land branch of Federated Farmers (Mr A. W. , Martin) said today. Because of the reduction in I the rate of killing farmers were having to retain extra stock on their land. For many: farmers the feed position was: critical. Considerable and unneces-j sary suffering was being I caused to stock on occasions, especially when stock had been sent to works and then ( returned to farms. Rain had eased the feed i

situation in some areas but I other localities had had no rain at all. Until now farmers had: believed the responsible! freezing workers would res-; cind their go-slow policy Farmers, with their liveli-j hood already jeopardised.! were bitterly resentful at the continuing go-slow policy, he, said. In Te Awamutu last night, a resolution demanding that the Government implement the rule of law to bring an end to the unrest in the freezing industry received unanimous support at a meeting of I about 140 farmers. The meeting was attended by the Dominion president of Federated Farmers (Mr P. S. Plummer), who addressed members of the Te Awamutu I Otorohanga. Cambridge and ; Waitomo sub-provinces. Mr Plummer said earlier ; that management and unions ( concerned should be left to settle problems within the I freezing industry. “1 know people holding I stock will be the first to suf- ] fer and with the dry weather making the situation worse, farmers have every right to feel sore." he said. I -

"Steadily mounting Indus- N trial unrest is doing nobody!, any good, least of all then people working in the Indus-’ | tries. But 1 still say it is bet , Iter for us to work in the! background and leave the: i right people to get together' |to negotiate settlement." Meanwhile, the Auckland, I Farmers’ Freezing Co-opera- i i live works at Southdown were! j idle today when 120 mutton and beef butchers struck over | a pay dispute. The men went home when j the company refused to pay; (them for a four-hour call-out.| The butcher’s strike, and al stoppage by 120 chamber-' I hands over a safety-problem,! I meant that about 1300 freez-1 'ing workers could not work. The secretary of the Auck-1 I land Freezing Workers’' Union (Mr T. P. Kelly) said! Jhe knew of the butchers' J stoppage but he did not know! , the strength of it. i