REFUSAL TO WORK

Northern Advocate, 5 November 1932, Page 2

REFUSAL TO WORK

■STATUTORY PROVISION. AN UNUSUAL CASE. REASON HOLDS GOOD. (Special to ‘‘Northern Advocate.”) j GISBORNE, This Day. j The attitude of the Unemployment j Board regarding the provision of relief work for men whose unemployment is , due to refusal to accept work was exI plained, in a letter to the Gisborne committee, which was called upon to deal with a case of an unusual nature under the board’s ruling. The board’s letter draws attention to the principle enunciated in section 2-1 of the Act, which states that no sustenance is to be paid to any man in n sped to unemployment which is due to refusal to accept any employment offered him. “This section,” the letter adds, “ relers not only to the refusal of suitable oilers made by the board, but also to the refusal of suitable odors made by private employers, including farmers. Will you therefore please strike "If tin* registei any single or married man who is ode red suitable private work in town or country, who refuses to accept same and is unable to odel- - reasons for such refusal.”

Consideration of this letter evoked

mention of the case of a man at the fi oozing work’s, who had been refused registration when he fell out of employment. 'l'his man, a butcher by trade, liar! been working at the freezing works under the* No. 10 scheme, but had been ordered to take over the job of killing stock and refused on account of Die dispute between the union and employers. His ease was dismissed. Had he taken on butchering work, said Mr C. E. Bickford, he would have seriously damaged his industrial character, and in the circumstances he contended that the man was entitled to be enrolled as unemployed. In reply to a question, .Mr Bickford wlio is also the union secretary, said it would not have been possible for the union to give this man permission to accept engagement and thus protect his position. The rates of pay offered to the man were those which wore subnitted by the employers, but. rejected by the union.

Ensuing discussion showed that members generally were of -opinion that the man should be reinstated, and a resolution to this effect was •arried nnanimoiislv.