BAKERY DISPUTE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23501, 16 May 1938, Page 10

BAKERY DISPUTE

A SETTLEMENT REACHED GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION MINISTER’S' SUGGESTION ADOPTED (Per United Press Association) AUCKLAND, May 15. After conferring all day with the Minister of Labour (Mr H. T. Armstrong), the parties in the bakers’ dispute reached an agreement tonight and the men will offer themselves for duty again to-morrow morning. On the Minister s suggestion, a tribunal will be appointed to consider the circumstances surrounding the dismissal of a worker, the termination of whose engagement was the cause of the drivers’ strike. Each side has agreed to abide by the decision, THE EARLIER PHASES STATEMENT OF MEN’S CASE (Per United Press Association) AUCKLAND, May 14. Mr W. J. Lyon, M.P., who has been the personal representative of the Minister of Labour in the bakery dispute, received advice to-day that Mr Armstrong was leaving Wellington for Auckland this afternoon. A full statement of the men’s case was forwarded to Mr Armstrong by the secretary of the Drivers’ Union, Mr L. G. Matthews. It states (inter alia) that a disputes committee was set up with the Conciliation Commissioner as chairman, but the employer concerned, Mr Mathieson, said he would not abide by the chairman’s decision and would not reemploy the man concerned. It is alleged by the union that the men had many complaints respecting the observance of the award by the employer; that they could not complete their work in a week of 44 hours; that instructions had been given that they should be paid no overtime; and that they were compelled to start work at 7 a.m. without payment of the penalty rate provided by the award. “A Political Method ” Replying to the employers’ earlier statement, Mr Matthews said to-day that the union was not interested in any threats, and would take the first opportunity to combat any. The union was desirous that the dispute should not be allowed to spread. He considered that the proposed ultimatum that all bakers would close down was a political method of stampeding the public. If the threat were put into operation, no doubt such action would result in the Government taking complete control of the baking industry. He added that if the bakers gave notice from Tuesday next to close down it would be considered a lockout- . . , Statement by Minister The Minister of Labour (Mr H. T. Armstrong) has issued the following statement: — “ The matter was first brought to my notice by the secretary of the Auckland Employers’ Association m Auckland on Wednesday, May 11, and I ordered and received the same day a preliminary report from my department about the matter. This report outlined the causes believed to be behind the trouble, and indicated that the Conciliation Commissioner in Auckland and two members of the Auckland executive of the Federation of Labour had already made efforts without success to effect a settlement. From then until the present, efforts have been made continuously by officials of the Labour Department and by Mr W. J. Lyon, M.P., to secure a resumption of work. I have been in constant touch with the position through my department and by Mr Lyon, who has rendered splendid service in the matter. “ The statement in to-day s papers attributed to the master bakers’ representative, charging apathy on my part, is not true and is not helpful. The matter has been in constant action by me through the appropriate official channels since it was first reported, and every opportunity has been given to the parties to settle the matter amicably. After consultation with Mr Lyons by telephone this morning, I have decided to proceed to-night to Auckland, and I am hopeful that normal working will have been resumed on Monday. If this proves to be not so, an immediate decision will be made as to what further steps will be taken by the Government.”