GOVERNMENT’S CALL

Grey River Argus, 18 March 1942, Page 5

GOVERNMENT’S CALL

For Volunteer Labour

[Per Press Association.] AUCKLAND, March 17.

A further extension of the freezing workers’ strike occurred to-day when 450 employees of the Farmers’ Freezing Company came out at Southdawn, and 140 freezing chamber hands employed by the same company at King’s Wharf, met and decided not to work.

The executive of the Freezing Workers’ Union met to-day. No official statement was made at the luncheon adjournment. The Westfield Freezing Company was left with 7000 sheep and lambs, 2000 pigs and 1000 cattle at the works.

Additional stock has arrived to-day but the company has cancelled other deliveries. Thousands of sheep, lambs, pigs and . cattle are also in the pens at Southdown. The problem of paddock accommodation an dthe shortage of feed owing to the dry weather is serious. The Westfield Company is appealing for men and women to assist in carrying on essential war service. On the wharves, butter and cheese is accumulating in railway trucks, coastal ships, and on the sidings, awaiting transfer to the cool stores. Many thousands of boxes of butterare on the wharves, and unless moved soon will suffer deterioratloii. The engine-room employees are keeping the engines running. The seriousness of the stoppage of work in the Westfield Freezing Comnany’s cannery, which is the largest in this district, was emphasised by the management to-day. It' was said that at the best times it was difficult to meet fully United Kingdom orders for canned meat, supplying not only New Zealand troops, but also other Allied troops in the Middle East. Every hour lost in the cannery was completely lost, as there were not means of overtaking it. There .are 350 male and 220 female cannery employees on strike. The total number of employees involved in the stoppage at the works is 1700. _ The management paid a tribute to farmers and members of the freezing company’s Clerical Guild, who had volunteered labour, they being employed in pig killing and ancillary operations in that department. The help thus afforded was of the greatnet p A representative of the Company said that the matter was now one for Government action. The Company has not approached the Government, but the Labour Department is aware of the' position. CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS BY THE GOVERNMENT WELLINGTON, March 17. Mr Fraser, on behalf of the Government, appealed for men to volunteer to take the places of the strikers at Westfield; He asked them to enrol at the nearest Placement Office.

Prime Minister’s Statement STOPPAGE A CHALLENGE. TO PEOPLE OF N.Z. PA. WELLINGTON, March 17. The Government is immediately -applying for- free labour to take the place of those who have stopped work in the freezing industry in Auckland, according to a statement made by Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, in the House to-day. He said that the Government took a most serious view of the action of the workers at the Heliaby’s, Westfield, and Southdown freezing works. The Government was determined to defeat this effort to dictate to the country when it was in extreme danger. Meat was required by the people of Britain. Meat, butter and cheese were required for our brave men who fought for New Zealand in Greece and Crete, and in Libya. The action taken was an attack upon our war effort, said, Mr Fraser, and it was a challenge to the Government and to the people of New Zealand. On behalf of the Government, he called for men to volun-. teer to take at once the place of those who had deserted their posts. He called upon every loyal citizen to come to the assistance of the country and the country’s war effort.

The Prime Minister said that he asked men to enrol, at once, with the nearest State Placement Office. Mr Fraser added that the union concerned had been deregistered, and, consequently, it had no further jurisdiction. Therefore, the way was clearfor all to assist. He hoped that the action taken would receive sufficient assistance for the work to go on unimpeded. Mr W. S. Goosman (Nat., Waikato) : “Will protection be afforded?”

Mr Fraser: “Oh yes. That is a police job.” Mr Fraser continued that the police authorities in Auckland had the matter well in hand. He did not, however, anticipate trouble, because he thought that the commonsense of the men would assert itself, and that work would go on. He understood that cool stores on the Auckland wharves had also been affected, but he hoped that sufficient men would be forthcoming to-day, to get the meat shifted.