FREEZING WORKS DISPUTE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17232, 11 April 1930, Page 4

FREEZING WORKS DISPUTE

FURTHER TROUBLE ."GO-SLOW" POLICY ADOPTED (Par Press Association.) TIMARU, last night. After two days without developments, further trouble was experienced at the freezing works in South Canterbury yesterday. At I'areora normal killing proceeded up till I 1 o'clock', when the butchers ceased work and held a meet ing. They resumed 2d minutes later al a "go slow" rate of four per hour. A further meeting was held al the lunch hour. When the men took the hoard at I o'clock (he foreman butcher requested the.ni to resume normal killing. Twenty men of the permanent staff were agreeable, but the remainder. 33, held out. As work had not ci cured by 2.30 Ihe boards were washed down for the day. Ar Smithlield, work at normal pace proceeded throughout the morning. A meeting lasting two hours was then held, and the men resumed al a "goslow" pace. CANTERBURY AFFECTED FARMERS MUCH CONCERNED (Per Press Association.) OHRISTOHURCII, last night. The "go-slow" tactics adopted by the freezing work's slaughtermen in South Otago last week spread to Canterbury to-day and affected operations at some of the local works. Exact information on the extent; of the interference with the normal

running of tho works is unobtainable. In some quarters the tope is outiM-t;iiiicml of a settlement to-mor-row, and in others fear is expressed that tlie inovenii'iit may .spread to involve all Canterbury works. The cessation, or slowing up of killing is particularly unfortunate at present, as the shortage of feed due to the long dry spell which is still unbroken over most of the province hits been forcing farmers to send their sheep and lambs to the works in large numbers. Killings were reduced to-dav by “go-slow,” with stopwork meetings at Borthwick’s works, at Belfast, at the North Canterbury Slieepfariners ’ works at Kaiapoi, and at tin' Canterbury Frozen Meat Co.’s works at Belfast. Work was not affected at the Islington works of the New Zealand Refrigerating Co., nor at the Fairfield works at Ashburton. It is reliably estimated that there are sufficient supplies at the various works, on the road, and bought to keep all the works running tit full capacity for six weeks. There never has been a time when trouble at the works has had such serious possibilities.