WORK AND WAGES.

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 February 1917, Page 2

WORK AND WAGES.

STRIKE SETTLED. FREEZING WORKERS' DISPUTE. AUCKLAND, February 21. The strike of chamber hands in the employ of - the Auckland Farmers' Freezing Co., at the Westiiekl Freezing Works, has been settled and the men will resume work to-morrow morning, The hands named struck on Wednesday of last week, owing to their demands for higher not being accepted and efforts to settle the dispute by conciliatory methods were abortive until yesterday. In the meantime the works uf both companies at Southdown, Ilorotiu and Westiield had to be closed down throwing out of work over 200 employees other than chamber hands./ At the instance of the Minister of industries and Comnterce the Board \>i Trade, members of which are at present in Auckland, negotiated with tiie parties with a view to endeavouring to effect a settlement yesterday. As a result of these negotiations the employees and the men signed an agreement to refer all matters in the dispute to the Labour Dispute Committee to be set up under the Labour Disputes Investigation Act, 1913, the Mayor, Mr. Gunson, consenting to act as chairman. The parties agreed to accept the committee's decision on all points as binding and further agreed that the committee's decision shall be retrospective to the date when work is resumed. ' The first meeting of the committee will be held to-morrow.