Strong opposition to stoppages

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33577, 4 July 1974, Page 16

Strong opposition to stoppages

(By

KEN COATES)

While the gaoling of the Auckland union secretary, Mr Bill Andersen, made thousands of unionists fume, the widespread stoppages in protest provoked strong oposition from at least two Christchurch persons — a carpenter and a housewife.

Mr Brian Leckie, a carpenter employed by the Ministry of Works, yesterday called his own protest meeting among fellow workers denouncing the stoppage.

Mrs Annette Watson, a housewife, of Redwood, said that women should stop cooking, washing, ironing, •‘and even sleeping in the marital bed if necessary” in a bid to persuade their menfolk that wives and children suffer through strikes. She telephoned a Christchurch radio station with her views — and the switchboard was swamped with calls. Mr Leckie, who is 47, al

member of the New Zealand Workers’ Union, said that • most carpenters, painters, fitI ters, electricians, plumbers, and joiners employed by the . Ministry of Works went homei

direct from their jobs yester-, day morning. "But a dozen or so of us held a meeting at the St Asaph Street yards, where dissatisfaction was expressed with the decision taken by the New Zealand Workers’ Union,” he said. “We are not happy with the Trades Council decision to back an illegal action by the Northern Drivers’ Union’s secretary," he said. Mr Leckie said he was positive that even had more men been at his meeting, there would have not been one dissenting voice. "You cannot buck the Supreme Court. We bring our kids up to respect the law, and yet we are asked, without even a meeting being held, to uphold an illegal action,” he said. “You can bet your life that if the boot was on the other foot, Mr Andersen would have wanted us all out in a bid to get his boss into gaol." The iaw should not be changed, either, said Mr Leckie. Injunctions should

apply to trade unions as to any other organisation or individual. “I was in business in shops for 17 years, and I see things

from both sides of the fence,” Mr Leckie said. Mrs Watson argued that men’s right to work should not be curtailed. “This, stoppage has got on to too big a scale,” sne said. “The trouble is that men who are inclined to take their booze money out of their pay packets before handing out the housekeeping money don’t realise what it means when their wives and kids go short,” she said. "I’m not against all strike action, but I feel strongly that too much havoc is being created over one individual The majority of workers ate well protected. “It’s not right the normal, everyday man should be kept at home and dictated to in this way. “Women should consider not cooking, ironing, or washing — and sleeping on the sofa, if necessary — to get >their menfolk to see how foolish this kind of action is," she said. Mrs Watson said her husband was keeping right out of theargument