SLAUGHTERMEN'S STRIKE

Evening Star, Issue 25068, 8 January 1944, Page 3

SLAUGHTERMEN'S STRIKE

> PUNITIVE AGTiQH ANNOUNCED SUMMONSES ISSUED (P.A.) OHIUSTCHURCH. Jan.' 7. Instructions have been issued for the prosecution of 33 slaughtermen at the Kaiapoi works of the North Canterbury Sheep 'Farmers' Co-operative Company Ltd.. who. have been on strike since Tuesday afternoon. In a statement this. evening the Minister of Labour, Mi Webb, said that the Government had decided to take immediate action against the slaughtermen concerned, and summonses would be issued forthwith. " 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. The farmers have been getting their lambs ready over the year, and the dry weather will caust them to fall back. Our kith and kin at Home are badly in need of meat, and no effort should be spared to providf. the maximum amount of food for those who are working hard, suffering much, and fighting all over the world for our freedom. " At this late hour." Mr Webb said. " I would appeal 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 immediatt action against the slaughtermen concerned and summonses will be issued forthwith. The first essential is work, and then we are prepared to listen to any grievance they have got." The slaughtermen decided this afternoon to remain on strike until Monday morning, and also to ask the Minister of Labour to come to Christchurch "to help to settle the strike. Before the slaughtermen's meeting members of the Kaiapoi branch of the North Canterbury Freezing Workers' Union held a meeting at the works in the morning, and iu a secret ballot decided by 75 votes, to 50 to resume work at 1 p.m. Another meeting of all the workers is to be held at the works on Monday morning. The officer in charge of the Labour Department, Mr R. T. Bailey, said thi.s 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 he prosecuted under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration 'Act, section 123 of which provides that when a strike takes places in an industry every worker who is or becomes a 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 £lo."*