400 MEN STRIKE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22941, 20 January 1938, Page 10

400 MEN STRIKE

WOOL STORE WORKERS . DELAY WITH NEW AWARD- .. , ACTION TAKEN AS PROTEST '&M , -- DISSATISFACTION WITH WAGES S' , j'sjglls [by telegraph—OWN correspondent] NAPIER. Wednesday Wool store workers numbering about' Y.I? 400 are on strike as a protest against '5 the fact that the Arbitration Court has not come to a decision with regard to their demands for a new award. The order to cease work followed a luncheon hour meeting to-day, the men announcing that they were not returning to work until the present conditions; were altered. The men are to meet again to. morrow morning at nine o'clock to consider the position further. Same Pay as Last Season

At the beginning of the present season application was made for a newaward, and the employers and employees met in November, but it was found impossible to come to any finality on the question of the 40-hour week. The question was referred to the Second Arbitration Court, which considered the application on December 8, with Mr. Justice Hunter presiding. So far the Court's decision has not been announced, and the men, who are dissatisfied with the existing rate of pay (the same as last season, 2s 2d an hour), have decided that a strike is the most effective form of protest they can enter with a view to inducing the Arbitration Court to accelerate its announcement.

Little Inconvsnience Expected The strike is not expected to cause any serious embarrassment with regard to clearing wool sold on Saturday, as there are no overseas boats expected to load wool until next week, by which time it is considered probable the men will have resumed work. Both employers and employees have been surprised that the Arbitration Court has not made an earlier announcement with regard to the award., because the wool store workers' dis> pute was heard before the freezing workers' dispute, and the latter was finalised some weeks ago. A meeting was held in Napier on Friday night to consider the matter, and another meeting was held in Wellington earlier this week, but it was not until to-day'i» meeting that the workers arrived a > the decision to strike. !

MINISTER'S COMMENT

EARLY CONSIDERATION MEN WILL LOSE NOTHINQ AWARD TO BE RETROSPECTIVE . -- . ; 1 [BY TELEGRAPH —PEESS ASSOCIATION] ' WELLINGTON. Wednesday "I understand the, trouble at ntb«Napier wool stores has been caused by the Arbitration Court's delay in an- 1 nouncing the award, which the men expected before Christmas," said the y Minister of Labour, the Hon. H. Tl r? Armstrong, to-night. "The delay has been unavoidable. "I have been in touch with the members of the Arbitration Cotirt, find they have assured me that the matter will be gone into when the Court sits at Auckland on Monday. The award will be made retrospective, so the men will lose nothing."