RETURN TO WORK

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20639, 15 December 1941, Page 3

RETURN TO WORK

FREEZERS AND MINERS ORDER BY MINISTER ’ PROSECUTIONS PENDING (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. "It must be made plain,” said the Minister of Labour, the Hon. P. C. Webb, referring to the stoppages at the Westfield freezing works and Dobson mine, “that whatever leniency may have been shown in the nasi, the hold-up of production cannot. under any circumstances, be permitted at the present time.”

Mr. Webb said that in the present circumstances it was criminal on the part of the employers pr workers to impede production in any way. The country was faced with ihe greatest crisis in its history, and every man, woman and child must pull their full weight for their own safety. If evidence were forthcoming that those responsible for unconstitutional tactics were to blame, they would be removed from the industry and the Government would not hesitate for a moment to authorise that course. Whatever the merits of the Dobson case might be, said Mr. Webb, the action of the men in ceasing work was a breach of the war emergency regulations. In view of the present emergency, he had instructed that legal proceedings be taken, that the company should reinstate the three dismissed men and that normal work should be resumed on Monday. The instructions to the Westfield workers were that work should be resumed on Monday morning. Proceedings were to be taken against those responsible.