STRONG PROTEST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23108, 6 February 1937, Page 8

STRONG PROTEST

ALTERATION IN AWARD GOVERNMENT'S ACTION RESENTED DAIRYMEN ALLEGE' DISCRIMINATION (Per United Press Association) HAMILTON, Feb. 5. Strong criticism of the Govei'nment regarding its alleged discrimination between workers and dairy farmers was voiced at a meeting of committeemen representing suppliers of the New Zealand Cooperative Dairy Company throughout the Waikato at a conference in Hamilton yesterday. The following resolutions were carried unanimously:— .'; . : "That-in view of .the threat to the interests of all primary producers created, by the action of the freezing workers in flouting ■the Arbitration Court award and illegally occupying the freezing works, the failure of the Government to: enforce the award, and its subsequent action in allowing the decision of the court to be. set aside and the .men's demands conceded to, we urge that Steps be taken without delay to convene a small conference, representative of all the primary producers, to consider what steps should be taken should such an emergency again arise, and that the Dominion Executive of the Farmers' Union be asked to convene such a conference. " That we desire to draw attention to the discriminating attitude of the Government in respect to the interests of the primary producers as revealed by its willingness to override the Arbitration Court awards where the workers' interests are concerned, while definitely refusing to review the guaranteed price, •although the costs of production have advanced considerably since the price was decided upon. We object to such attitude, particularly in view of the fact that, while the freezing workers were parties to an award and had full opportunity to bring evidence to support their case, the dairy farmers were neither consulted in the fixation of the guaranteed price nor were they parties to the decision arrived at."