WOOL STORE WORKERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23044, 21 November 1936, Page 14

WOOL STORE WORKERS

SATURDAY MORNING STOPPAGE SOME SHARP EXCHANGES (Per United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 20. Accusing the employees of deliberately flouting the law by striking while their dispute was still under consideration, Mr D. I. Macdonald, the employers’ agent, made strong comment to-day when the Dominion wool, grain and hides stores dispute was being considered in Conciliation Council. Last Saturday, claiming that they were entitled to the 40-hour week without Saturday work, all the North Island workers in the industry, with the exception of Napier, refused to work This morning Mr Macdonald asked for and received an assurance that there would be no further trouble, Mr W, Miller, secretary of the Workers’ Federation, declared that the strike had been caused by the employers in their lack of consideration for the workers. Mr Macdonald declared that the law had been flouted by the workers, and blamed the assessors at the council table for organising the strike. He said the employers were not prepared to carry ofi with the proceedings unless an assurance were given that there would be no furthei trouble. Mi Miller declared that, while the assessors might give their personal assurances, they could not account for the men. While he was not threatening, the employers, by their tactics, might have trouble all the season. After further discussion, the employees’ assessors gave assurances that, so far as they were concerned, there would be no further trouble. The proceedings then continued amicably. PROCEEDINGS CONTEMPLATED INSTRUCTIONS FROM MINISTER (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, Nov. 20. Proceedings, it is understood, are contemplated against the Wellington Storemen, Packers and Warehouse Employees’ Industrial Union of Workers (wool, grain and hide section) in connection with the stoppage of work in the wool stores last Saturday. Acting in accordange with instructions from the Minister of Labour, the department has advised the secretary of the union (Mr J. Tucker) that it intends instituting proceedings against Mr Tucker and the union for an alleged breach of section 109 of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1925.