WORKS DISPUTE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23130, 31 August 1938, Page 12

WORKS DISPUTE

MEN AT WESTFIELD NO AGREEMENT REACHED ARBITRATION PROCEEDINGS NATIONAL UNION TO ACT No progress lias been made in the endeavour to adjust the differences between the workers and the management at the Westfield freezing works regarding the provision of dressingroom accommodation, and at a stopwork meeting of the men at the works yesterday morning it was decided to leave future negotiations to the national executive of the union. This action terminates the local efforts to reacli a settlement, which had been in train for almost a week.

Over 600 employees refused to work on August 19, when a complaint was made that there had been a delay in the provision by the management of the dining and dressing-room accommodation and lockers for the storage of workers' clothing, in terms of the award made last December and promulgated by the Arbitration Court in January l^st. Size of Lockers The award stated that on and after May 15, 1038, the employers had to provide adequate dining, drying and dressing-rooms and lockers for individual workers. The award did not specify the size of the lockers, and the situation that developed at Westfield was stated to be due to the management proceeding with the construction of lockers 3ft. 6in. high by loin, wide, these being deemed by .the men to bo unsuitable in size. The workers decided to resume on the following Monday after the Minister of Mines, the Hon. P. C. Webb, acting on behalf of the Minister of Labour, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, conferred with both parties. After a conference the issues were submitted in camera to the Arbitration Court. Negotiations have been continued since then without agreement being reached. Work Continues According to statements made on behalf of the men last night, the secretary of the Auckland W. E. Sill, addressed a meeting yesterday morning and reported on the negotiations. It is understood that the secretary expressed his inability to agree to any decision in regard to the size of lockers that would be binding on all the freezing works covered by the award. This view was endorsed by the workers, who passed a resolution authorising the national executive of the union to handle their case in deliberations before the Arbitation Court. The men decided to continue at Trork while the issues are being considered by the Court.