REFUSAL TO WORK

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20261, 31 May 1940, Page 4

REFUSAL TO WORK

HOLIDAY DEMAND WESTFIELD EMPLOYEES LIVELY EXCHANGES CRITICISM BY GIRLS IMPORTANCE OF RACES (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. The Government's arrangement to cancel the King’s Birthday holiday on Monday on account of the war situation and the necessity for maintaining production at its highest peak is disregarded by employees of the Westfield Freezing Company. According to a decision made at a meeting of between 400 and 500 men and women yesterday. no work will be done on Monday. Employees at other freezing works have considered similar proposals. There was a similar discussion at the Westfield abba toil - works of Messrs. R. and W. Hellaby Limited, but it was stated that it had been arranged for work to proceed as normal, with the exception of a small group of men who had had little respite for some months. The position at Southdown and Moerewa, the works of the Auckland Farmers’ Freezing Company, Limited, has yet to be made clear. Marked by lively exchanges, the meeting at the Westfield Company’s works extended for more than an hour. A few speakers deplored the suggestion to retain the holiday when the task of carrying on killing and allied operations was of national importance. Maximum Work Needed Girls employed in the cannery and other departments were present and one who criticised the holiday proposal declared that the men appeared to be more concerned with Monday’s race meeting than with the plight of the British forces overseas. Finally the resolution to observe a Cull day as holiday was carried by a large majority. Several of the men* who had urged the employees to recognise the gravity of the situation and apply the Government’s suggestion stated subsequently that there was a constant influx of cattle for killing for the export trade and for this reason the action was'all the more to be deplored. With so much beef coming forward the loss of a day’s work was an appreciable handicap to the Dominion’s war effort and an embarrassment to the efforts of the Government.

It was added that the imperative need for maximum work had been recognised to some extent by the butchers who had been working half an hour extra each day. For this they received overtime rates.

The employees of the Horotiu freezing works, at a large meeting yesterday, decided not to work on Monday, it being pointed out that it was no use postponing the holiday as. far as they were concerned. At present only beef killings are being made at Horotiu and this is the best time to observe the holiday. The meeting also decided that' for the duration of the war all employees snould donate Is a week to the combined appeal oGthe Y.M.C.A. and Salvation Army soldiers’ comforts fund.