MINISTER OF LABOUR THREATENS ACTION IN CARPENTERS’ DISPUTE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27026, 10 March 1949, Page 8

MINISTER OF LABOUR THREATENS ACTION IN CARPENTERS’ DISPUTE

PA WELLINGTON, Mar. 9. “ The Government takes a most serious view of the attempt j by an irresponsible section of the Carpenters’ Union to defy the authority of the Court of Arbitration and to endeavour * by direct action to force the employers to agree to demands * which the union has been unable to obtain by constitutional means,” said the Minister of Labour, Mr McLagan to-day.

§0 widen the dispute into a general industrial stoppage by their actions 3n boycotting the handling of essential goods, including food for Britain. JSuch tactics will not be tolerated. Should these boycotting and wreck3ng tactics continue, the Government will take whatever action may 3)e necessary to ensure that the economic life of our country is not disrupted by a small group whose sole object is to destroy our established and orderly system of industrial conciliation and arbitration, to promote strife in industrial relations and chaos and hardship ijn the community.” V

v “I sincerely hope,” he added, “that before the Government is forced, to take emergency measures for the preservation of the people’s welfare <and for the discharge of our obligations to our kinsfolk overseas the •good sense of the rank and file of the members of the unions concerned will prevail, that our well-tried and beneficial system of arbitration will be upheld, and that the illegal and disruptive tactics at present being adopted will be abandoned.”