STRIKE MENACE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22616, 2 January 1937, Page 10

STRIKE MENACE

MOTOR INDUSTRY TWELVE PLANTS CLOSED 33.400 MEN NOW IDLE By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. (Received January I, 7 p.m.) NEW YORK, Dec. 31 The workers in three more plants of the. General Motors Corporation have gone on strike. Twelve plants are now shut down and 33,400 employees are idle. An effort to organise the workers in the industry is indicated. The addition of General Motors to the list of employers involved threatens an almost complete stoppage of the manufacture of motorvehicles in the country. The workers are demanding recognition of their unions, increased wages and an adjustment of overtime rates. The executives of General Motors have not yet indicated their readiness to negotiate. The president of the corporation, Mr. Sloan, says the ocono.nio stability of the country is threatened by industrial strife and will bo one of the major problems of 3937. The union leader Mr. Green says the strike is the fruit of corporate mismanagement. He attacks industrial espionage and the arming of corporations for industrial strife and demands a national conference to make agreements. Otherwise, lie says, Labour "will take by storm the barbed wire barricades and machine-gun emplacements." The General Motors Corporation has served notice that no conference to discuss collective bargaining will be considered until the stay-in strikers vacate the plants.

STRANDED TRAVELLERS RETURN I BY AORANGI NEW ZEALANDERS INCLUDED (Received January 1, 7 p.m.) VANCOUVER. Dec. 31 With the departure yesterday of the Aoranjii for Auckland and Sydney with 663 passengers—the largest list for 10 years—including New Zealanders and Australians who had been stranded owing to the shipping strike, the situation is believed tq have been virtually relieved Those now in Southern California will have no trouble in obtaining accommodation by the next vessel to sail. Actually, since the Aorangi can carry 770 or more passengers, it is believed that those remaining wish to secure superior accommodation and financially arc able to wait until they get it. Five American seamen who had been stranded at Hawaii stowed away on the Aorangi. Through the goodwill of the ship's officers and the Canadian immigration authorities, they were placed in a train at Vancouver in time to reach home for the holidays.