SEQUEL TO A STRIKE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17428, 25 March 1920, Page 5

SEQUEL TO A STRIKE.

ACTION AGAINST UNIONS.

"REFUSAL TO WORK OVERTIME.

CLAIMS FOR TOTAL OF £1200.

, A sequel to the refusal of. men engaged in the iron trade to work overtime took place 3t the Magistrate's Court, before Mr. J. E. Wilson, S.M., yesterday, when the Inspector of Awards, G: H. Lightfoot JMr. Selwyn Mays), claimed penalties of £2(10 from each of three unions and three secretaries. The claim in each case was for a penalty for an offence under Section C of the Industrial :Concflisition and .Arbitration, Act, 1908, viz., that defendant union during September, 1919, at Auckland, did incite or instigate certain workers of the said union employed by the United Eepairing Company, Limited, and certain, workers of Clare, and 'Warner, to become parties to an unlawful strike. The defendants were the Auckland District Boilermakers, Iron-ship Workers, and Bridge Builder?-' Union,- and A. H. Phillips, secretary to the union; the Auckland Iron and Brass Moulders' Union and A. H. Phillip, secretary; the Auck*land branch of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers and R. F. Barter, secretary. An adjournment, owing to the absence of Mr. Lightfoot, was applied for by Mr. Mays. This was opposed by ! Mr. A. E.. Skelton, who appeared for the defendants, on the ground that as there was a great deal of unrest among the members of the unions it was essential the cases should be decided as soon as posi sible. The real crux of the case, he said, was whether employers under the award could compel employees to- work overtime on any day on which the men had already worked eight hours. That point required settling first, for if compulsion could not be applied, then there had been no strike, Mr. Mays said he was not justified in going into the abstract question of whether the men could be compelled to work overtime, although he must admit that was the crux of the question. He could n6t and would not go on' without Mr. Lightfoot's attendance. They wanted a ruling that would be applicable to the whole Dominion. The magistrate granted an adjournment until next Wednesday.