MANURE WORKERS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 15, 18 July 1939, Page 6

MANURE WORKERS

STRIKE CONTINUES

DEREGISTRATIOM OF UNION

MOVE TO-BE MADE

(By Telegraph-Press Association )

AUCKLAND, July 17- ---» Chemical manure workers, now on strike at tire works at Otahuhu Te Papapa, and Westfield, are to meet on Wednesday, to consider a motion to make an immediate application 10 , cancel the registration of. their union - under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, It is_ expected that deregistration of c£ c Km?£ Under the Act wiil be adopted by the workers. In that, event it I Wih involve the first breakaway by ; a vn iOA from the principle of settlement of - industrial disputes through the Court of Arbitration since the advent of the Labour Government The intended action by the union was communicated to representatives . of the owners .this afternoon by the committee of the Auckland Council of the Federation of Labour at a conference, presided over by, Mr Price, Conciliation Commissioner. .-"■' ~-. A request was made by the union to the employers, that they should endeavour to effect an eaiiv settlement of the dispute by consenting to meet the union without delay on the question of an agreement under the . Labour Disputes Investigation Act notwithstanding .that deregistration under the Arbitration Act will take some time to accomplish. ' The employers';* representative undertook to get in- touch with th* directors of the companies concerned on the question on Wednesday so that their attitude will be defined provided the resolution mentioned *is adopted by the workers. •<■ £■ Proceedings were opened*-_t?the conference by the submission of the following statement by the disputes committee, of the council of the Labour Federation:— m "We desire to- inform the employers involved in this dispute that the-union is taking steps to cancel its registration under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, a special meeting for that purpose having been called for Wednesday morning next. In anticipation of the rank and file of tlie organisation endorsing this proposal, we request the employers to appoint immediately, representatives to meet representatives of the union and the disputes ■ committee of the Federation of Labour with a view to negotiating a new agreement. A PERIOD OF 30 DAYS. "The attitude of the employers up to the present has been that they are agreeable to submit'the whole matter to the Court of, Arbitration, but this attitude can no longer be persisted in if the union concerned decides to----de-register under that Act. There is one position, however, which must be faced up to the end; that* is,-'the fact that de- ■ registration under the' Arbitration Act will not take effect for 30 days, and the union; therefore, cannot ■ register under the Labour Disputes Investigation Act till this period has expired. "The disputes committee of the Auckland f Council of the Federation of Labour is.anxious to:do,-eyerything possible to facilitate •an early settlement of the dispute, arid, in.the circumstances, we would ask the employers to waive the legal formalities involved and agree, should.the suggested negotiations fail, to make joint applica"tion with the workers to the Minister of Labour to set up a tribunal, comprising representatives of the employers and the-workers, with an independent chairman appointed- by the Minister, as provided under the Labour Dis-putes-Investigation Act "Though the'disputes committee has made every endeavour to stop this dispute from spreading to other centres and -to avoid involving unions other than the^ Chemical Manure Workers' TUnion, it is obvious-that/if the dispute continues, this wilKbecome increasingly difficult;' For that reason we urge that the' employers should do everything .within-their power, to facilitate :the early settlement of the dispute. "Furthermore, the workers have no desire- to inconvenience farmers by curteUrosnt of supply of fertilisers, which, rE it occurred, would: in turn reduce our* .primary production to everybody's disadvantage. We do feel, however, that, representatives-of the farmers appreciate the. rotten conditions under which members of- this *mOn are employed and: the. inadequacy of the. present wage rates. We believe, too, that the employers agree that the viewpoint of th^Cfarmers wouldbe sympathetic towards the porkers in this - particular case, arid that it was for- this reason- -rthat the employers hastily rejected the v suggestion made at<the ; last conference that s tribunal- comprising representatives of the workers," the employers, and the .Farmers'. Union, with an independent chairman,; be set up to adjudicate on this dispute. ASSISTANCE LIKELY. "If the employers* are not prepared $0 assist .us in bringing about an early settlement of the.existing dispute, we Slink it is opportune to point out that frow the matter is. being handled by the Auckland Council ol the Federation of Labour, it is unlikely that members of any union affiliated to the federa-tion-wiU take part in any work that might be calculated to break down the fight at present being put up by members.of the Chemical Manure Workers' .that if the fight continues, substantia* financial assistance will be forthK^ ?° m affiliated with the Auckland council to assist. the m^n concerned. / "In the. circumstances, we trust that the employers will'adopt- a reasonS and conciliatory attitude, and, if that ps aone, we feel certain that ways and gieans can be fbund to effect an _ ar ly Settlement of this dispute." J -.For the employer's, Mr. Anderson SS^w? 1 Whe consi dered that Se committee had incorrectly stated the portion regarding the farmers. As he junders^ood it, the original proposal put K™^ wa* that representatives of pie Farmers' Union, the employers the porkers, and an independent chairman *pc set up to deal with the dispute The Season for its rejection by the' employers .was not because they conpideredthe Farmers' Union represent?|ryes might be biased, but b.caSe a gnbunal to deal with the case was al-| JfJV-? c*lstence- namely, the Court Of Arbitration. Workers' representatives replied that' the proposal made was on the lines set! jout xri tne original statement, and that gvhen the suggestion was put forward*' KSJ^w J^P 1?^?' representatives {stated/that-he objected to the proposal Sbecause'he considered the representaStives 'of the Farmers' Union would! definitely be biased in favour of the %vorkers. - y