DISPUTE SETTLED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 1 December 1938, Page 10

DISPUTE SETTLED

WESTFIELD FREEZING WORKS DECISION REACHED AT MASS MEETING l t<n i ted Pres* Anoeiationl AUCKLAND, This Day. As the result of a decision reached at a mass meeting this morning. the majority of the 800 Westfield Freezing Works employees who have been idle since Monday will resume work at one o'clock this afternoon. The butchers and boners will not start until tomorrow morning, since all that those resuming this afternoon are required to do is in connection with preliminary operations. Contrary to expectations the decision was not made by secret ballot, but in open meeting. It was considered that a ballot was unnecessary. The meeting lasted about half an hour. A telegram was received from the Prime Minister expressing his willingness to assist in facilitating the hearing of the dispute by constitutional means, this being received enthusiastically. GOOD FEELING Apparently the good feeling of the meeting held at the Trades Hall had much to do with the fact that a secret ballot was not taken. Officials of the union explained afterwards that had certain circumstances existed a secret ballot might have been essential, but it so happened that not a single request was heard for it this morning. "I don’t think the atmosphere of the meeting could have been more harmonious.” said the union secretary, Mr Sill, after the executive had reported to him on the developments. “There was no sign of any ill-feeling between sections of the workers and although at first a few seemed to think that a premature step had been taken the decision to resume was practically unanimous.” The meeting rounded off with a brief session of community singing, with such songs as P“cak Up Your Troubles.” and “Rainbow on the River.” The meeting also passed a resolution of continued confidence in the executive members and secretary of the union. APPEAL ON DISPUTED CLAUSE The next step in connection with the dispute—the lodging with the Arbitration Court of an appeal against Mr Gilmour. Industrial Magistrate, on the disputed award clause, which says that not more than 35 workers shall be employed on any one chain. Applications will be lodged in Wellington by the New Zealand Freezing Workers’ Association: and the Court will probably be asked to exercise its powers in remedying any defect which it may find to exist in the award.