City Power Threatened

Northern Advocate, 25 October 1947, Page 6

City Power Threatened

AUCKLAND, Sat. (Sp.).—The works staff of the Auckland Power Board decided yesterday to extend their strike to the switchboard operators of substations. As a result of this decision the power supply for Auckland and the suburbs will be threatened next week. The switchboard men will be called upon to cease work at various times between T o'clock and 5 o'clock on Tuesday morning. Executive officers of the board stated that if switchboards at the substations were not manned it would not be possible to provide power for the Auckland area. CONFERENCES HELD However, although no details of the board’s intentions were announced, an assurance was given that arrangements would be made to reduce any interference with the supply to a minimum. Repeated conferences and an offer of arbitration made by the Minister of Labour (Mr McLagan) presented to prospects of a settlement yesterday. Two hundred of the board’s employees, centred on the workshops staff but including members of eight unions, are aready on strike as a protest against the appointment of an outside applicant, Mr C. W. Meikle, to the position of garage superintendent. NOTICE REQUIRED The general manager (Mr R. 11. Bartley) stated that there were two statutory provisions that required 14 days' notice from workers concerned with the supply of electricity, gas or water, if they intended to leave their employment. Fines or imprisonment were cited as the penalties for failure to comply with this requirement. At a meeting yesterday the board adopted a resolution stating that it could not submit to any tribunal the question of whether it had the right i to appoint its own staff or, alternatively', whether it was to be subject to control or direction from any outside body or combination of persons. It was also agreed that, provided all the men returned to work, the board would be pleased to make available to an approved and independent person full particulars of all the steps it had taken up to and including the appointment of Mr Meikle. MINISTER’S OFFER The Minister of Labour (Mr McLagan) said last night that he had informed the Auckland Electric-Power Board and the representatives of the workers that he was willing to appoint one of the deputy Judges of the Court of Arbitration to adjudicate on the stoppage of work by employees of the board. Mr McLagan said he had suggested to both the chairman of the board and to the workers’ representatives that fie should appoint a suitable person to adjudicate on the matter in dispute. Previously he had suggested to both parties that they should agree to the appointment of a tribunal to settle the dispute, but this was not acceptable either to the workers or the employers.

ABIDE BY DECISION “The investigation will not com-' monce until I receive an assurance from the board that it is prepared to abide by whatever decision the deputy Judge may make after a thorough examination of the whole position and similarly an assurance from the workers' representatives that normal work will be resumed immediately and that they also will abide by the decision of (he deputy Judge,” added Mr McLagan. “On these assurances being forthcoming arrangements will be- made for one of the deputy Judges to be made available to investigate the whole matter.” CHAIRMAN’S COMMENT Commenting on the Minister's statement, the chairman of the Power Board (Mr S. I. Crookes) said last night that it was too wide altogether and impinged on the board's right to appoint its own staff. That was a fundamental principle to which the board must adhere. The board was only prepared to accept an investigation that was confined to the undertaking given to the men on the question of promotion and to review the appointment in the light of that assurance.

The question of an investigation in the terms of the Minister’s announcement will be discussed by representatives of the various unions affected by the dispute this morning. ' However, the final decision will rest with a meeting of all the men at 2 p.m. on Tuesday.