AUCKLAND FREEZERS

Grey River Argus, 9 January 1941, Page 7

AUCKLAND FREEZERS

Stop Work Meeting WHARF STORE DISMISSALS. AUCKLAND, January 7. • Stop-work meetings were held today by the employees of freezing works in Westfield, Southdown, and Horotiu districts to discuss, the position concerning the cool-store workers in Auckland who were dismissed last Friday after refusing to work on Sundays. The holding of the meetings has created an impression in some quarters that the dispute might assume a more serious aspect, but this was discounted to-night by an authority in close touch with the position. He said that there was little likelihood of this occurring. At the Westfield freezing works on Monday morning, killing operations were held up for about 40 minutes while slaughtermen discussed the position of the dismissed employees, who are members of the New Zealand Freezing Workers’ and Related Trades’ Industrial Union, in common with all employees in freezing works in the Auckland district. An official stated that the meeting was of a routine nature, since union members were involved in the dispute, and it was competent for slaughtermen to review the position. It was stated that delegates were appointed to confer with delegates from other works, including representatives of the chamber hands. A further meeting was to have been held at Westfield works at lunch-time to-day, but it was cancelled.

Work was held up on the slaughtering floor at the Southdown works for almost an hour to-day for a similar reason. The men conferred with union officials after the lunch interval, and it is understood that the appointment of delegates was discussed. A more extensive stoppage occured at Horotiu freezing works,, a meeting of 375 employees lasting from 12.30 until 2.10 p.m. It was subsequently stated that delegates were appointed to attend a conference in the city to-morrow. The conference will take the form of a district union executive meeting, and its findings will be placed before mass meetings of employees at the respective works.

It is understood that the case- of the dismissed chamber hands will be fully stated and discussed. It was learned that in the last few days five members of the Waterside Workers’ Union were dismissed by the employing authorities for refusing to handle produce brought out of cool stores in Auckland by the men engaged in place of the dismissed chamber hands. Work is proceeding without interruption at the two cool stores involved in the dispute. AUCKLAND, January 7.

A further meeting of the Freezing Workers’ Union to receive progress reports in connection with the recent dismissals, was held at the Trades’ Hal! to-day. There were also noon meetings at Westfield and Horotiu. Meanwhile work proceeds normally on the waterfront, the new cool store employees loading out for overseas vessels.

WATERSIDERS’ ATTITUDE AUCKLAND, January 8. The ordinary monthly stop-work meeting of the watersiders,’ union was held this morning, and it was evident there was a strong division of opinion on the attitude that should be taken regarding produce from cool stores. The discussion covered all angles, and the secretary was instructed to call a special meeting of the executive to formulate a policy, and report to a meeting later in the day. At one stage since the freezing workers were paid off, five watersiders refused to handle cargo from stores, and walked off the job. These men were discharged,“but later reinstated. after suffering the usual penalty of no engagement on vessels for two days, or for duration of the job on which they were engaged at the time.

It is understood that a conference of freezing workers’ representatives is being held at Auckland later, today. However some of those in close touch with the position point out that the holding of the meetings does not mean the trouble is likely to spread.