POWER PLANT WORK HELD UP

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22313, 24 April 1947, Page 6

POWER PLANT WORK HELD UP

RESIGNATIONS OF CONTRACTOR’S STAFF

GRAVE EFFECTS OF LOSS OF ARTISANS

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, April 23. IT esi "nations from the staff of William Cable and Company, contractors for the repairs to the liner Wanganella, which also involve staff then who are not actually engaged on the Wanganella work, have brought the. work of the firm to a stale near paralysis and ’involve a complete delay to a vitally urgent Government contract involving the North Island hydro-electricity scheme.

This contract, is for the prefabrica tion of tunnel linings for. the Maraeta. power station on the Waikato River, the third and largest link in the genera'ing chair, and dwarfing the almost completed Karapiro project. The company’, with its specialised equipment, is also doing other exceedingly valuable work connected with the electricity system. The situation caused by the res’gnations of the great majority of -.killed and semi-skilled works staff, it was stated to-day on behalf of the em-

ployers, would be of the most far-reach-ing consequence to Government enterprises, other public undertakings and many private industries hip repairing and the community generally. It was stated that proof of the contempt foi realities considered to be apparent in union circles, was found to be in the nature of the written resignations One worker's excuse for resigning was that he had a "crook elbow.” another claimed to have a sore finger and other unionists stated frankly they were "taking a holiday.”