BUTCHERS ON STRIKE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23902, 28 February 1941, Page 8

BUTCHERS ON STRIKE

CANTERBURY WORKS

SHORT-LIVED STOPPAGES AGREEMENTS SOON REACHED [BY TELEGRAI'H —I>BBSS ASSOCIATION] CHRISTCHTJRCH, Thursday ■Strikes to-day in two freezing works at Belfast and Kaiapoi were quickly settled. In both the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company's works at Belfast and the North Canterbury Sheepfarmers' Co-operative works at Kaiapoi the butchers stopped work in the morning. A settlement was reached at Belfast early in the afternoon, and following a conference it was decided that | work should be resumed at Kaiapoi tomorrow morning. The number of employees affected at I Belfast was 250, and at Kaiapoi 150. The butchers at Kaiapoi at 8 a.m. refused to man the chains, the ground being the dismissal of one man. lb was later established to the complete satisfaction of both the company and the men's representatives that the man's dismissal had been caused by a misunderstanding. Except for subsidiary departments, work was also at a standstill at tho Canterbury Frozen Meat Company's works at Belfast from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The men refused to work because of a disagreement with the company on the question of the replacement of men injured while working on the chain and placed on compensation. The men contended that the employment of inefficient men acted as a "dead weight" on the chain, and the company's view was that consequent on calls for military service, fully qualified men could not be secured for replacements. Discussions between the company and the union were continued through the lunch hour, and by 2 p.m. an agreement was reached and killing was resumed.