PETONE WOOLLEN MILLS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16645, 17 March 1916, Page 5

PETONE WOOLLEN MILLS

DISPUTE UNSETTLED,

EMPLOYEES PAID OFF.

(Feom Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, March 16. The disputo about wages between tho PetonoWoollen Mills Employees' Union and their employers, the Wellington Woollen Company, is still unsettled. The notice given by the workers expired to-night, and they wore all paid off at tho end of the day. There was no demonstration or any unpleasantness at all. In tho terms of the notice given the employees have simply left tho company's employ. But for the fact that tho mills are engaged almost wholly in the production of material for military supplies tho disputo would bo unimportant, but in order that the military needs may bo fully met it is necessary that all the mills should be kept running.

Mr Myers, as Minister of Munitions and Supplies, has interested himself in the trouble, has attended meetings of the workers, and has impressed upon them the necessity for keeping up the supplies of everything needed to allow New Zealand to fulfil her obligations to tho Empire, but these appeals have failed. Mr Myers will not state whether he purposes taking any steps now or in the future to secure the reopening of the mills, but it is certain that some notice will be taken of the dispute by the Government with this object in view.

The circumstances under which the employees have ceased work make it appear to be at least arguable whether an offenco under the Arbitration Act has been committed.

Meetings were held, at which a demand for a 10 per cent, increase was formulated. The employers made a counter proposal of a_ 5 per cent, war bonus as from the beginning of January, which offer was equivalent to the offer mode and accepted in the southern mills. The employees rejected this, and a meeting was held at which it waa decided by resolution that the ememployees should give a week's notice if the employers still proved obdurate! The notices were duly presented. They were uniform in' every particular, having all obviously been prepared by somo person in tlio_ same office, and merely signed by the individual workers.

The employers contend that there has been concerted action, and that the cessation of work by all hands under thesQ circumstances constitutes a strike.