SLAUGHTERMEN FINED

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 January 1944, Page 2

SLAUGHTERMEN FINED

PENALTY FOR STRIKING

CHRISTCHURCH, January 18

‘‘That the action of the men in striking is rather hitting the fundamentals of Unionism and undermining the confidence of -the public is a matter for regret,” said Mr. E. C. Levvey, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court to-day when thirty-two slaughtermen from the freezing works at Kaiapoi were each fined £5. Mr. R. T. Bailey, Inspector -of Awards, prosecuted for the Labour Department. Mr. A. Millar, President of the Kaiapoi Branch of the Freezing Workers’ Union, represented the men charged. The charge against each of the thirty-two men was that, being a worker, bound by the New Zealand (except Westland) Freezing Workers’ Award, and being in the employ of the North Canterbury Sheepfarmers’ Co-operative Freezing Export and Aigency Coy. Ltd., he did, between January 4 and January 17, discontinue his employment with intent to compel or Induce the said employer to vary the terms of employment, or to comply with any demands made by the defendant. That the men had struck was admitted, and that they had caused trouble and upset was admitted, said the Magistrate, in giving his decision. The President of the Branch had put facts before the Court that might influence the minds of the mon. From the national and international aspect, their conduct was reprehensible. In these times of stress and turmpil, it did not seem right, and, in the circumstances, in view of dreadful happenings, that an arbitrary stand should be taken by any group. However, the men seemed to have suffered because of their own ill-timed action. Each man would be fined £5, and iii:? Magistrate said he wished to warn the men taht. had the charges been laid under another Act. il was just a question whether the men would -have been able io retain their liberty.