WELLINGTON BAKERS' STRIKE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14257, 4 July 1908, Page 10

WELLINGTON BAKERS' STRIKE

MASTERS IMPROVING THEIR POSITION. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, .Inly 3. , To-day the master bakers sav their , position is stronger than it was yesterday, and that a few days should see tho end of tho trouble so far as they are concerned. Tho secretary states that the bakers have more than enough third bands available, and that, they merely need a few second hands and a foreman. Two members of the association have tern- ' porarily "pooled" their business. They aio working in one bakehouse, and are keeping all their customers fully supplied. Tho delegates at last night's' meeting of tho Trades and Labour Council were unanimous in supporting a resolution to give the bakers on strike the sympathy and assistance of the council. It is staled that several of the speakers referred in appreciative terms to the loyalty of the members of tho union now on strike. They stated that, many of the • men had refused private offers by emi ployers of wages higher than the union was demanding, and had insisted on the terms of the union being agreed to by tho whole of tho employers before a single member of tho union would go back to work. "The old spirit of unionism was noticeable at the Trades Council's meeting," states one delegate. "Tho delegates expressed their detestation of any worker handling goods manufactured by blackleg labour, and they spoke of their personal determination to assist the bakers, even if it went to the extent of urging wharf labourers, seamen, drivers, and other unionists handling flour to ceaso work, The bakers wcro putting up a. good fight and it behoved every union to sec that they were not beaten because of the fact that some of their own members were supporting tho masters against the men." Tho general strike, however, has not got beyond.tho .suggestion stage, and does not seem likely to go further. Neither masters nor ' men have yielded at all. _ It is certain that the shortage of bread is not by any means acute.