AIRMEN STRIKE'

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 September 1946, Page 6

AIRMEN STRIKE'

40-HOUR WEEK DEMAND 700 MEN INVOLVED AT WHENUAPAI OFFICER’S ORDER DISOBEYED (P.A.) AUCKLAND, Sept. 17. In a protest against an Air Department order advising personnel that they would be required to work on Saturday mornings, more than 700 members of the Interim Air Force at Whenuapai went on strike this morning, demanding a 40-hour week.

No strikes occurred at the R.N.Z.A.F. stations at Hobsonville and Mechanics Bay, Auckland, but negotiations in sympathy with the Whenuapai personnel were begun. The spokesman for the Mechanics Bay men said this morning it was their intention at the lunch hour to march into the city, a distance of one mile, as a sympathy demonstration. When the station Avarrant officer at Whenuapai called the usual parade this morning the men sat down in front of the airmen’s mess instead of falling in. “We do not intend to budge until we have a guarantee that Ave will be required to work not more than 40 hours a week,” said the spokesman. “We intend to stay on strike until we get a satisfactory answer. We can hold out as long as they can.” The men have been ordered to return to work, but none has complied. Although the staffs of the airmen’s, sergeants’, and officers’ messes ceased work, the men stated that they were not afraid of starving. They intended to cook their own meals m the airmen’s mess for the duration of the strike. , No maintenance Avas carried out at Whenuapai hangars this morning ana most of the flying activities ceased. A Dakota on the regular flight to Japan left after being prepared by two n.c.o.’s of the regular air force and an officer. The internal transport services were maintained in the same way. The spokesman for the strikers said no communication had been received from the commanding officer, Group Captain Hunter. Asked to make a statement to the press,. Group Captain Hunter said he had no comment to make. March Into City.

At Mechanics Bay a committee of six airmen interviewed the commanding officer, Wing Commander Breckon, D.F.C., who declined to make a statement to the press.

In a telephone interview, the commanding officer at Hobsonville, Wing Commander Willis, said no strike Avas in progress there at the moment and everyone Avas behaving in ..an orderly manner.

Shortly after midday, a column of men from Mechanics Bay station marched into the city, where they broke off before marching back at the conclusion of the lunch hour.