AN AWARD REFUSED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17662, 24 December 1920, Page 6

AN AWARD REFUSED.

FREEZING WORKS CLERKS. UNION NOT REPRESENTATIVE. LBT TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] CHRISTCHURCH, Thursday. The Arbitration Court decided, by a majority of the members, not to make an award in the dispute between the Christchurch Clerks, Cashiers, and Office Employees' Union and the Canterbury Freezing Companies. When the case was heard it was shown that the companies' employees, together with employees in the allied industries, had formed themselves into a guild and were strongly opposed to being brought under the provisions of an award of the Court. It was also shown that practically the whole clerical staffs of the companies were members of the guild, which entered into an agreement witk the employers in regard to- wages and conditions satisfactory both to employers and employees. Only a small proportion of members of the guild are members of the union, which brought the dispute before the Court. The reasons for not making an award were, first, no genuine dispute existed justifying the Court's interference, and, second, the union was not fairly representative of the employees sought to be brought under the provisions of an award. The judgment explains 'that there is ample remedy by civil process in cases of breach of the agreement made between the guild and the companies. " Mr. McCullough, the emplovees' representative, in a long statement "attached to the judgment, explains his reasons for dissenting from the decision.