GO-SLOW POLICY BY CARPENTERS IN CANTERBURY

Grey River Argus, 21 January 1948, Page 5

GO-SLOW POLICY BY CARPENTERS IN CANTERBURY

Against Court’s Refusal of Wages Increase

P.A. CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 20 A “go-slow” policy was unanimously adopted by nearly 11)00 members of the Christchurch branch of the New Zealand Carpenters’ and Joiners’ Union this afternoon at their stop-work, meeting.

Members described as unjust decisions of the Arbitration Court refusing the union’s application for a wage increase of a lid an houx 1 on the minimum wages rates, and allowing the application of compainies and firms other than builders for exemption from payment ol travelling time and tares on suburban work.-

The meeting was originally convened for the Trades Hall, out 1.0 minutes before the appointed time the attendance was 600, or double the hall’s capacity, and a hurried adjournment was made to the Civic Theatre. The attendance was about 1000 when the meeting was opened. It was the first stop-work meeting ever called for carpenters and joiners in Christchurch, and the attendance was the biggest ever recorded at a meeting of the union. An address on the effect of the Court’s decision was given by Mr R. Stanley, national secretary of the union. Mr F. L. Langley, branch secretary, also criticised decisions in other districts in the South Island Messrs John Roberts (president) and A. B. Grant (secretary) of the Canterbury Trades Council of the Federation of Labour gave tneir personal support to the carpenters and joiners in their protest, anjiJthey were supported by lhe. president of the Plumbers’ Union and the president of the Bricklayers’ Union.

The meeting carried the following motions -■ without dissent:— “That members refuse to work at less than 3s an hour, and that, where this is not granted, they operate a go-slow policy; that, in cases where employers who were granted partial exemption from the New Zealand Carpenters' and Joiners' award, implement a policy of discontinuing payment of fares and travelling time, carpenters employed by these firms implement a go-slow policy; that, should tne union policy desided on fail to obtain the desired result, a further meeting of the branch be held to decided further necessary action.”

The meeting directed that particulars of the Arbitration Court’s decisions be forwarded to the Canterbury Trades Council with a request that action be taken by the council to assist the uniop to correct anomalies now existing “through the action of the court.”