Chaplains not involved

Press, 1 May 1984, Page 3

Chaplains not involved

No industrial chaplain had been involved in the decision of the Woollen Workers’ Union to accept Mr Trevor Brott as a conscientious objector, said the director of the Inter-Church Trade and Industry Mission Canterbury Inc., the Rev. C. S. Horrill, yesterday.

Mr Horrill said that although 1.T.1.M. had been approached by the union it had declined to become involved because it was against its policy to be involved in such matters as

voluntary unionism. It was reported in “The Press” yesterday that, according,, to a union spokesman, Mr Brott had been accepted as a conscientious objector after his objection was heard by a Christchurch industrial chaplain.

Mr Horrill said that the chaplaincy was, one of the main involvements of the 1.T.1.M. and it had 22 chaplains in 36 work places in Canterbury, mainly helping workers with personal prob-

lems. “We want to retain an independent stance. There could well be some client companies would would feel some disquiet if we bad been involved in deciding conscientious objection cases,” said Mr Horrill. The secretary of the Canterbury branch of the union, Mr D. Shenker, said that the union had decided to say no more about the case than that it had been resolved. He agreed that no industrial chaplain had been involved.