STILL ON STRIKE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 5, 8 January 1944, Page 6

STILL ON STRIKE

FREEZING WORKERS

PROSECUTIONS TO FOLLOW P.A. CHRISTCHURCH, January 7. Instructions have been issued ,for the prosecution of 33 slaughtermen at the Kaiapoi works of the North Canterbury Sheepfarmers' Co-operative Co., Ltd., who have been on strike since Tuesday afternoon. In a statement this evening the Minister of Labour (Mr. Webb) said that the Government had decided to take immediate action against the slaughtermen concerned and summonses would be issued forthwith. The slaughtermen decided .this afternoon to remain on strike till Monday morning, and also to ask the Minister of Labour to come to Christchurch to help settle the strike. In the morning, before the slaughtermen's meeting, members of the Kaiapoi branch of the North Canterbury Freezing Workers' Union held a meeting at the works and in a secret ballot decided by 75 votes to 50 to. resume work at 1 p.m. Another meeting of all workers is to be held at the works on Monday morning. "I regret very much the attitude of the slaughtermen, many of whom are very excellent workers," said. Mr. Webb. "It is a pity that the great work they have done should be marred by the action of a few. Farmers have been getting lambs ready over the year, and the dry weather will cause them to fall back. Our kith and kin at Home are badly in need of meat and no effort should be spared to provide the maximum amount of food for those who are working hard, suffering much, and fighting all over the world for our liberty and freedom. I would appeal at this late hour to the slaughtermen to resume work and allow their dispute to be ventilated in a constitutional manner. In the meantime the Government has decided to take immediate action against the slaughtermen concerned and summonses will be issued forthwith. The first essential is work. Then we are prepared to listen to any grievance they have got." An officer of the Labour Department, Mr.-R. T. Bailey, said this evening that the cases against the slaughtermen would be set down for the first ( available date that could be arranged with the Magistrate's Court. The slaughtermen are to be prosecuted under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Section 123 provides that when a strike takes place in any industry every worker who is or. becomes party to the strike and who is at the commencement of the strike bound by any award or industrial agreement affecting that industry shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding £10. .