A.S.R.S. STOP-WORK MEETING

Grey River Argus, 27 September 1944, Page 5

A.S.R.S. STOP-WORK MEETING

To be held at Christchurch GREYMOUTH AND OTHER SUPPORT. P.A. CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 26. Canterbury branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants to-day received a telegram from the National President, Mr J. Terry, and the General Secretary, Mr L. McIlvride, advising it to call off its proposed stop-work meeting on'Thursday morning, because it wa's unconstitutional, and had not the support of the National Executive, and because certain groups of Canterbury members were opposed to the meeting. “The fact that some few 'of the higher wage rate railwaymen are opposed to a meeting is fully understood by the mass of the Canterbury branch members,” said the branch secretary, Mr A. B. Grant, to-night. “It was because of the effect that such a conditioned outlook, resultant from different wage levels, had on previous occasions on the rank and file outlook and unity that the Canterbury branch strongly objected to differentiation in lower-paid men.” In an attempt to avoid further friction Mr John Roberts, President of the Canterbury Trades Council, today telephoned the A.S'.R.S. headquarters office in Wellington, and suggested that if the executive would agree that proposals from branches would be considered before the National Executive met_ the Tribunal, there was a possibility that the meeting would be called off, Mr. Grant said. He added: “Mr Mcllvride refused to consider any further proposals from branches, and the meeting will be held as planned. Telegrams of support have been received from branches at Auckland, Rotorua, and Greymouth, and other places, and several stated that they were considering holding similar meetings of protest.”