STRIKE OF BUTCHERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20537, 11 April 1930, Page 10

STRIKE OF BUTCHERS.

TROUBLE IN OTAGO.

EFFECT SPREADS NORTHWARD

MEN "GO SLOW" AT TIMARU

WORK CEASES EARLY IN DAY.

[bv telegraph.—press association.] OAMARU, Thursday.

After two days without any development as the result of the strike at Innegand, further trouble was experienced at the freezing works in South Canterbury yesterday. • At the Pareora works, seven miles from Timaru, normal killing proceeded until ll a.m., when the butchers ceased work and held a meeting. They resumed 20 minutes later at a ''go slow' rate of four sheep an hour. A further meeting was held in the lunch hour. When the men took the board at one o'clock the foreman butcher requested them to resume normal killing. Twenty men of the permanent staff were agreeable, but the remainder, numbering 33, held out. As work was not recommenced by 2.30 p.m., the boards were washed down for the day. At the Smithlield works, Timaru, normal work proceeded throughout the morning. A meeting lasting two hours was then held, and when the men resumed they did so at a "go-slow" pace.

REDUCTION OF KILLINGS.

WORKS NEAR CHRISTCHURCH.

MOST UNFORTUNATE TIME.

[bv telegraph.—press association.] CHRISTCHURCH, Thursday.

The trouble at the freezing works in South Otago spread (o Canterbury to-day and affected operations at some of the local works. In some quarters hope is entertained of a settlement, to-morrow but in others fear is expressed that (he trouble may spread further and involve all the Canterbury works. The cessation or slowing up of killing is particularly unfortunate at present, as there is a shortage of feed owing to the long dry spell, which is still unbroken over most of the province. This has been forcing farmers to send their sheep and lambs to the works.

Large numbers of killings were reduced today by "go slow" tactics and stopwork meetings held at Borthwick s works at, Belfast, at the North Canterbury Sheepfarmers' works at Kaiapoi, and at the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company's works at, Belfast. Work was not affected at the Islington works of the New Zealand Refrigerating Company, nor at the Fairfield works, Ashburton.

It is reliably estimated that, there are sufficient supplies at the various works, on the road and bought, to keep all the works running at capacity for six weeks. There never has been a time when trouble at the works has had such serious possibilities.