PETONE GASWORKS DISPUTE
to mi iWTon. Sir,—ln acknowledgement'of the letter of' Mr. M'Ewan (the Mayor of Petone), in your issue, of the 19th inst., we have to point out 1 that while none of us can bo certain whether the filing of a case has been delayed until too late, the league hae all the time affirmed its belief that a reference to the Court could be filed. Our reasons for that belief are :— (1) That there -was a dispute over terms and conditions of -employment. " ' » " • (2) That the union did .presumably represent the workers engaged in the industry at Petone. (3) That sub-clause (c), section 2, of the 1.0. and. A. Act (interpretation) includes as "industrial matters," which may be the subject matter of dispute for the Court to determine, "the dismissal of or Tefusal to employ any particular peraoiv or persona or class of persons therein." (4) That wo cannot believe the mere act of an employer in discharging the, members of a, union from his employ would debar the union from aipproaching the Court. Why we ca,nnot be certain-, as to the effect of the delay whiclv has taken place in filing a ease is that wo have no means of knowing how the Court would view that procedure. In the Wellington ships tally clerks' case the Court did hear evidence, and no doubt the. Court would hear the evidence were the Gas-workers' .Union to file a' reference to it. May' we respectfully point out to Mr. M'Ewan that if the union cannot refer a. case to the Court, then neither could the council, as both stand in the same relation to the Court. The league advised that the union should file a ease, as it was the party which initiated the 'dispute. Take the matter of n. dispute over the dismissal of employees. Clearly that could not be referred to the Court whilst the employment is continuing, but only after tlie dismissal has taken effect. . As regards the tally clerks' dispute, the Court refused an award because the union never was fairly representative of the workers in the industry, and there was, in fact, no real dispute. We do not understand that such is the position with respect to the dispute between the Gasworkers' Union and the Pofcone Borough Council. There is no need For further reply to "One Who Knows" i,h an to say that the league's assertions have been proven by all tbot line transpired. If the Gasworkors' Union dispute is analogous to the i tally clerks' dispute (as he infers), then clearly the former has no case.—We *"!' C P' WISLFAHE LEAGUE.' 19th July.
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Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 17, 22 July 1921, Page 11
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440PETONE GASWORKS DISPUTE Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 17, 22 July 1921, Page 11
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