Westfield Strike: Belated Offer to Kill Calves Refused

Northern Advocate, 20 August 1938, Page 6

Westfield Strike: Belated Offer to Kill Calves Refused

AUCKLAND, This Day. The 600 employees at the Westfield freezing works, who refused to start work yesterday morning because they objected to the dressing room accommodation, which they considered wias not in terms of the award, are still idle. No work was done by them yesterday, part of the day being occupied by meetings, which were adjourned about 2.30 p.m, until eight o’clock this morning. There was no attempt at a stay-in strike, 'and pickets were not on duty yesterday. Bobby Calves’ Plight. With a gang comprised of foremen and other permanent employees, the company is endeavouring to kill as many of the 4000 bobby calves 'awaiting slaughter as possible, work proceeding most of last night, but it is stated that some of the animals will undoubtedly die from hunger and privation.

An 'appeal to the slaughtermen to resume until they had killed the bobby calves was without effect. It is believed that the Minister of Labour, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, made an appeal in a telegram to the men not only to resume work until their complaint could be investigated, but in any case to kill the bobby calves. Mr. Armstrong, who pointed out that the action of the men, was embarrassing the Government, stated that the losses caused by the failure to slaughter the calves would not fall upon the Westfield Freezing Company, Ltd., but upon the farmers who had consigned them to the works.

j A meeting of the workers yesterday was addressed by an inspector of [ the Labour Department, and also by iMr. W. E. Sill, secretary of the Auck- | land Freezing Workers’ Union, who later described conditions in some departments of Ibe works as uspeakable. ■ The Company’s Position. In a statement of the position from its point of view, a representative of the company, said it had always provided dressing-room accommodation of a reasonable nature. When the new regulations came into force it prepared plans for accommodation in accordance with the award. These plans were submitted to the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. W. Lee Martin, who approved of them, and also to the Labour Department. When these were sanctioned, work was started on them as soon as possible. Owing to a scarcity of materials and labour and unfavourable weather, operations had been somewhat delayed, but with the exception of some plumbing work, all the additions and alterations required would be ready in. a week, apart from a new dressing-room in the freezing section.

The Workers’ Claims, Mr. Sill said yesterday that the company maintained the award did not specify the size of lockers, but the union had relied on the company’s sense of fairness. When the men crowded into the dressing rooms, conditions became disordered, and as a

result there were losses of property. In the women's room there were no

lockers, and one girl lost her wages last week. The award specified that the conveniences for the workers should be in existence by May 31. but the company, while maintaing that the completion of them was impossible. had carried on building programmes. The union considered that the workers’ 'accommodation should have been improved before new works were embarked upon Offer To Kill Bobby Calves Refused. An offer made by the slaughtermen involved in the Westfield dispute to kill 3(500 bobby calves as a humanitarian gesture, pending settlement of the strike, was refused by the manage-

ment this morning. The men’s offer was inspired by a telegram from the Hon. W. Lee Martin, urging this move. The management claim that they would be unable to cope with the offal and skins with a skeleton stall, but the slaughtermen remained firm for killing only.

[Special to “Northern Advocate. ”]

Using a skeleton staff of permanent workers and the clerical staff, the company killed 600 calves up to 10 o’clock last night, continuing this morning, and expect to work throughout tonight and all tomorrow. It is understood that the Hon. P. C. Webb, now in Auckland, is attempting to arrange a special sitting of the Arbitration Court for August 26, to hear the disputed points about the size of lockers set down at an early date. Meantime, all killings, with the exception'of bobby calves on hand, have been cancelled. Both men and management remain firm on the points in dispute.