“DIRECT ACTION”

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 March 1937, Page 7

“DIRECT ACTION”

CHEMICAL WORKERS STRIKE OVER 300 MEN INVOLVED [PER press association.] AUCKLAND. March 11. More than 300 employees at three chemical manure works at Westfield, Otahuhu, and Te Papapa stopped work this morning as a result of a dispute about wages, which came to a head at a Conciliation Council meeting of representatives of the men and the employers on Wednesday night. A mass meeting of men from the three works, who are members of the Otahuhu Chemical Manure Workers’ Union, was held at the Otahuhu works soon after 9 o’clock this morning, and it was decided that the employees refuse to work until their demands are conceded by the employers. | A move toward a cessation of work was made by the employees at the [ Westfield works of Kempthorne, Pros-I ser and Company’s New Zealand Drug Company, Ltd., who held a meeting before the usual hour of starting work. After deciding not to work, the employees, numbering about 80, went to the Otahuhu works of the Challenge Phosphate Company, Ltd., and delegates also approached the workers at the Te Papapa works of the New Zealand Farmers’ Fertiliser Company, Ltd. The men stopped' work at both places abou,t 9 a.m. The dispute over wages developed from a comparatively small issue ■which was raised at the Westfield) works on Wednesday of last week. At Conciliation Council proceedings about a fortnight before that day an agreement was reached between the men and the employers on several points, but the question of wages was held over for consideration by the Arbitration Court, which is expected to open its sittings at Auckland in May. It is understood that the men’s representative was later requested to concede an increase in the wages of the four men employed' on the “bank’ or, alternativly, to relieve the men and rotate this particular work. When the management decided to replace only two of the men, a stop-work meeting was held. It was decided to insist on the wages question being settled without having to wait until the Arbitration Court sitting, and the men demanded that the employers meet them in a further Conciliation Council sitting and to continue work until the outcome of the conference was known. The Conciliation Commissioner, Mr R. E. Price, arranged a meeting between the representatives, which was held on Wednesday night. The claim filed by the union asked for 2/6 an hour for “day men” and 3/- an hour for “bank” men and those employed •on bluestone and lime sulphur. The schedule presented by the employers for consideration by the Arbitration Court offered “day men” a uniform rate of 2/03 an hour without any differentiation. At the Conciliation Council the employers, it was stated to-day, made an offer containing’ an all-round increase of wages, but this was refused by the men, who demanded that their claim be admited and agreed to. The proceedings extended until nearly midnight, when they were abandoned, as no agreement could be reached. It is understood that the men’s representatives informed the employers that unless their claims were granted they would resort -to “direct action. The decision meeting to stop work was observed by all the men at the three works, but at the representations of the respective managements a few of the shift men who are en- • gaged in attending to the acid-making plants were allowed to remain an duty for a period not exceeding 24 hours. This concession was made out of the men’s knowledge that the process of manufacture cannot be abandoned at a moment’s notice, as considerable loss and damage to the expensive plant are involved. Officials of the union declined to make any statement as to whether the position of a definite strike had been reached, or whether the cessation was merely a demonstration of protest for one day. “It is no use making a statement at this juncture of the proceedings,” was; the only comment made by the union secretary. Unofficial statements by the em- :’ ployees, which were neither confirmed nor denied by officials, were to the effect that the men would report at the various works to-morrow morning and that develoupments would depend on the attitude of the employers toward the men’s claims. Staff men and technical employers at the works are not affected. Numerous lorries which called at the works during the day for loads of manure for delivery to farmers had to return empty because of the inability of the; few remaining staff hands to fill all the orders.

EMPLOYERS’ STATEMENT. While declining to make any deljnite statement on the issues arising from the stoppage of work, the employers said they had made an offer of improved wages to all the employees in an endeavour to effect a settlement at the Conciliation Council. “Although the men had invoked the Arbitration Court in initiating proceedings for a new award.’’ read a statement issued to-night, “they took up the attitude that unless a settlement could be made in concilation they would take direct action. The employers naturally had to consider their farming customers equally with their employees, and in making the offer which they did of an increase all round, they felt that they had done the utmost they could for the workers under the circumstances.”

The following is the offer made showing a comparison with the wages the men were receiving before the increase in hourly rates caused by the 40-hour week. The amounts (noted are hourly rates, the former rates being shown in parentheses :---Day labour 2/3 (1/10A): chamber mon. 2/4$ (2/-); shift workers, 2/4 (1/11J); men on “super bank,” 2/4 (1/10J); unloading sulphur, day rates 2/6 eta hr cm rdl cmcm eta shot oilu a , vbg cm sh sh c scs csot taord nun (2/lJ): night shift 2/7 (2/2J). When the dispute was referred Io •the Minister for Labour (lion. 11. T.

Armstrong) he said he had not received any official intimation of the trouble. The Minister did not make any other comment on the dispute. FREEZING WORKS ACTION. AUCKLAND, March 12. Further industrial trouble occurred at Auckland, this morning, when from seventy to eighty men employed by the Auckland Farmers’ Freezing Company at the King’s Wharf works went out on strike. No official statement had been issued up to 12.30 p.m., but it was stated that the reason for the stoppage was the engagement of a number of nonunionists. Negotiations are proceeding. SAWMILL WORKERS. RESUME UNDER PROTEST. ROTORUA, March 11. Sixty employees at the Te Whaiti mill of Wilson Timber Mills, Ltd., who began a “stay-in” strike on Monday, returned to work -to-day after a discussion of the position with a representative of the Labour Department and of the South Auckland Timber Workers’ Union. The dispute arose from the action of the company in dismissing the manager. The men demanded the manager’s reinstatement and took possession of the mill premises to enforce their demand. After a long discussion this morning, the men decided to return to work under protest. The Labour Department representative had told them that they were breaki ing the law by taking possession of the company’s property. It is stated that a demonstration I took place in the yard when the new > manager appointed by the company made his first appearance.

COMPULSORY UNIONISM. PALMERSTON N., March 11. Endorsing the principle of compulsory unionism as applied to farmers, the Manawatn provincial executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union decided to notify the Dominion executive that, after securing the opinion of branches on the subject, it is in favour of the introduction of this system, a definition of its attitude towards which had been sought by the senior body. Tlie executive objected to any suggestion of a Government commandeer of meat and wool, several branches forwarding adverse opinions.