SEQUEL TO STRIKE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24827, 29 January 1942, Page 4

SEQUEL TO STRIKE

WORKERS CONVICTED WARNING BY MAGISTRATE PRISON TERM NEXT TIME (P.A.) . AUCKLAND, Jan. "28. A sequel to the recent industrial troubles at the Auckland Municipal Abattoir was the appearance in the Magistrate's Court to-day of 43 of the employees, who were each charged, befors Mr J. H. Luxford, S.M.. with being a party to a strike. The charges were laid under the Strike and Lockout Regulations, 1939, and the prosecutions were the first of their kind in the Auckland district. The court presented ah unusual spectacle as the defendants responded to their names and lined "up in rows of six deep." Mr V. R. Meredith, Crown Prosecutor, appeared for the inspector of factories, who instigated the proceedings, and Mr W. R. Tuck represented the defendants, who pleaded guilty. The charges against nine other employees were withdrawn at the request of Mr Meredith, and another man, J. Kennerly, who was represented by Mr Henry, pleaded not guilty. Mr Meredith said that the regulations . defined a strike as an act of any number of workers, in discontinuing their employment, wholly or. partially. The defendants were charged with a partial discontinuance of work. ,' The charges were'laid in respect of Monday. January 19, when the men failed to Work between 8 and 9 .'.a.'rri. Their :awarfl. made in 'August. 1941. provided, for employment for eight hours/a, day on'.five days, of the-.week..; On this, occasion there was ample work for the men, who , Were slaughtermen'; and labourers, to do, but they wilfully.discontinued work. .It was-not an isolated instance.... ..."'•... ....; '- , s . .

Vindication of Law

"The object of these prosecutions," said Mr Meredith, "is that there shall be a vindication of the law and ..that it will,be indicated, that in/these times the Emergency .. Regulations". sHall be .'obeyed." : '• :""..'. '.:' ../;.." Mr Tuck said'he commended the. impartial presentation of the case.by Mr Meredith. The, shortage of labour at the abattoir had created problems, for both the management and the .men themselves. It-had involved considerable: stress upon'-the"men.''One"man had ■ stated -.that :;he had, .wojked,. ,70 hours in one'/ -week "and had 'been brought out at all times to do so. Many men worked from. 50 to 60 hours a week. They were paid overtime rates, but there was great strain and stress put on them. They approached the Auckland City Council and requested that the labourers' wages be increased so as to attract more labour-. The council replied that it was prepared to discuss any conditions except the rates of pay. Men continued to leave the works and the slaughtermen, who had nothing to gain by any dispute, acted simply to help the labourers; •. Changed Circumstances ";';

Mr Luxford said that one of the greatest obstacles to a country changing over from a peace-time to a war footing was ■ the psychological difficulties.- In time of war certain things had to be thrown overboard. One of the slogans which labour was entitled to use in peace-time, that labour could be sold to the 'highest bidder, had to be modified in time of war. He considered that the recent resolution adopted by the Auckland branch of the Federation of Labour in this connection was an unfortunate thing. With the labour shortage, adherence to that principle became exploitation. In the present case the men, not being satisfied, had used the. *>ld system adapted for peace-time. The law of to-day said those things could not be done in the old way.

"The proper course in this case is not finally to dispose of. the matter." continued the magistrate. "If I inflict a fine now, I think the best ends of justice would not be properly served. The defendants will be ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within the next 12 months.

" You will noj. be called if your work is carried out in the proper, spirit and manner," he added. If there were any more breaches of the regulations, there would be no question of imposing fines, and the offenders would be sent to prison, Mr Luxford said.