FREEZERS’ DISPUTE

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 97, 18 January 1933, Page 10

FREEZERS’ DISPUTE

Unionists Declare for Continued Stand GOVERNMENT CRITICISED The workers’ side of tho case in the freezing dispute was put to a large audience at the Empire Theatre, Petone, last evening. Representatives of the Freezing Workers’ Union declared that the workers would fight to the last to prevent the industry in the Dominion from being Americanised. A motion was carried censuring the Government for not making an attempt to settle the dispute. The Mayor of Petone, Mr. D. McKenzie, presided. Mr. A. McLeod, secretary of the Wellington Freezing Workers’ Union, declared that the amendments to the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act had been responsible for the dispute. The workers had done their best to arrive at a settlement, but the employers on four occasions had refused to refer the dispute to the Conciliation Council. A two days’ round table conference in October had been abortive, and another conference in November had been unsuccessful. In October the employers had posted amended rates in the sheds, and had simply pushed aside the representatives of the union. The workers, however, had refused to accept the rates offered. Union and Settlement. The employers, Mr. McLeod stated, in effect, had said: “Here are our terms; you can take them or leave them.” The union had used every means to effect a settlement, and had no wish to continue the dispute one moment longer than could be avoided. The union was fully justified in the stand it had taken; their bread and butter was at stake. Though they had had to tight a lone haud, when the industrial history of the Dominion came to be recorded the fight the freezers’ union had put up would be writ, large. Mr. P. .1. Kelly, national secretary of the Freezers’ Union, said that New Zealand to-day was largely dependent upon the earning power of the workers. They had been told that a reduction in wages would mean more employment, but the opposite had been the result Thqye had been a good deal of propaganda distributed regarding the wages earned by freezing workers, but it had to be remembered that freezing was a seasonal occupation. The 6500 members of the union paid into the unemployment fund £33,000 a year. The union was fighting to keep women out of the industry, and did not want it brought down to the level described by Upton Sinclair in his book, “The Jungle.” The amendments to tho I.C. and A. Act, Mr. Kelly said, had been brought down by people who wished to dictate their own terms to the workers of the Dominion. The freezing workers were putting up the greatest fight in the history of the industry in New Zealand. and they were holding together steadfastly. During the war years the freezing companies had over-capitalis-ed the industry, and had expected the workers to pay the dividends. They could not. expect, the present Government to do anything, as it always) put the cart before the horse. Earnings of Workers. The earnings of freezing workers had been misrepresented for years. Taken over the whole year, it was questionable if a slaughterman earned more than £5 a week. The freezing companies were endeavouring to Americanise the industry in the Dominion, and if this were allowed the workers would be reduced to the standard of America -and the Argentine. Mr. Kelly felt sure the people of the Dominion would be solidly behind the freezing workers in their fight for justice for themselves, and their wives and children. If the freezing workers were defeated, it could be taken for granted that an attack would be made upon the workers of every other industry. Mr. J. Decleene also addressed the meeting. On the motion of Mr. Swanson, a motion was carried expressing disgust at what was described as the shortsighted policy of the Government in not doing its best to bring about some form of settlement of the dispute. WAINGAWA SLAUGHTERING Good Progress Reported Dominion Special Service. Masterton, Jan. 17. Under the chain system of killing, the. men employed at the Waingawa Freezing Works are making good progress, and some particularly good tallies have been made during the past week A new record for a day’s killing at Waingawa was established on Friday, when a total of 6150 sheep ami lambs were slaughtered. According to an official of the firm of T. Borthwick and Sons, it is confidently expected that this total will be bettered next week. The men. said the official. are improving all the time and are really just getting going.