DISPUTE IN RANKS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 118, 21 May 1941, Page 8

DISPUTE IN RANKS

CARPENTERS' UNION

RANK AND FILE'S PLEA

MEETING TOMORROW

The special meeting of the Wellington Carpenters' Union held on May 8, when an anti-war resolution carried by a small number of members at Rongotai was rescinded and those responsible for the resolution were removed from office, was adjourned after 11 p.m., and will be resumed in the Trades Hall tomorrow night. The meeting was called by the rank and file committee of the union, represented by Messrs. C. Nattrass, E. Higgins, and W. F. Sherwood, who on this occasion have circularised members of the union to attend.

' The circular, alluding to the expunging of the "rotten resolution to which the majority of us objected," states that the job is not yet complete, and that those who opposed the majority have been rallying all possible supporters to tomorrow night's meeting. It was their prolonged opposition which caused the last meeting to continue until members had to leave in order, not to lose their transport home, it. is stated. Thus, the opposition continued intact when members of the majority had left, and this was reflected in the voting on the last resolution moved. ATTENDANCE URGENT. ■ "We must strengthen our union, maintain its effectiveness, protect our wages and conditions, and work in cooperation with the Labour movement in its fullest industrial sense," continues the circular. "Those who are opposing us have used our union and given indication that the unity of the carpenters with our mates in New Zea-' land and our mates overseas has broken down. Small meetings of our union have voted sums of money to outside sources with which the majority of our members would not agree. The opposition claim that they have improved our conditions' and inferred that they have got for us the 40-hour week. Nothing is further from the truth. The 40-hour week and our present award were obtained long before any of them had any official connection with the union. There has been no advance rtiade since they have controlled our union. All that has resulted has been an increase in our contributions. Unless you and your mates ; attend, your efforts to get back to sanity and working-class solidarity will be lost."

New members are to be nominated for the executive, and members are asked to support those put forward by the rank and file committee.