Union’s Discussions With Government On Waikato Strike

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 March 1948, Page 2

Union’s Discussions With Government On Waikato Strike

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, March 15. The strike of nearly 900 men on the three major power Schemes in the Central Waikato is under discussion befween the New Zealand Workers’ Union and the Government, and will probably be considered by the Cabinet on Wednesday. The management committee of the union has been summoned to a special meeting in Wellington beginning also on Wednesday. sThe national secretary of the union (Mr Carl Hair) said today that the union had appealed to members in local branches throughout the country to give financial help to the men on strike in the Waikato. Ballot On Strike Answering allegations concerning the poll taken at Mangakino, Mr Hair said every precaution was taken to see that all men were notified of the ballot and given opportunity to vote. He said 650 men were at the meeting when it was decided to hold a poll and subsequently elaborate steps were taken to inform all the others. ’Transport was put on to bring men in to the poll from more distant places. Polling facilities were taken to sick men at their bedsides. All buses coming through were met and any eligible voters informed of the poll. It could not be denied that members were given ample opportunity to record their votes.

Although there was no actual booth, the men had ample opportunity in the hall for full secrecy in recording their votes, said Mr Hair. The returning officer was a Justice of the Peace. Of about 850 eligible to vote, more than 700 did so.

Engineers’ Statement The engineers at Mangakino had never submitted an ultimatum to the Government, as claimed in the official

statement of the New Zealand Workers’ Union, said the Professional Engineers’ Association/of New Zealand in a statement issued today. The association said the engineers appreciated the very important .part commonsense handling of union agreements played in bringing about good understanding between two essential groups, management and workmen, but when a small group set out to disrupt these relationships to the point of making it impossible for either side to function, then some action was called for. The statement said the Government after full investigation of the Mangakino situation, decided on the transfer of one of the men, and it was this action to which the men were objecting. “The Professional Engineers Association considers that if the men fully appreciated just what was the issue at stake against which the engineers were taking a stand —Communistic tactics and not practical unionismthen the result of the ballot might have been very different,” the statement concluded.