PROTEST STRIKE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19777, 3 November 1938, Page 19

PROTEST STRIKE

CITY GLASS WORKERS ARBITRATION HEARING NO DATE AVAILABLE DISPUTE OVER WAGES (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. As a protest against the delay in securing a fixture in the Court of Arbitration for the hearing of the glass workers’ dispute, the 150 members of the Auckland Glass Workers’ Union went.on strike yesterday morning.

It is considered that the strike, unless a satisfactory settlement is made, will have most serious repercussions in a number of industries. A statement was made yesterday that the award expired on October 21 and the dispute was immediately brought before the Conciliation Commissioner, Mr. Price, by the union. A settlement was reached on a number of points, but the major issue, that of an increase in wages, was referred to the Arbitration Court. When the union applied to the court, the officials were advised that they would be unable to secure a hearing for six months.

In the meantime, the management of the firm involved, the Australian Glass Manufacturers Company, Limited, Penrose, offered 2s a week allround Increase in wages. The men called a stop-work meeting on Thursday of last week and instructed the secretary and their delegates to meet the management and put an alternative proposition in regard to wages before them. This was not accepted by the management. A further stopwork meeting was called for Monday last, but was abandoned because Mr. W. E. Anderson, the employers’ representative was not available and the meeting was held on Tuesday evening when delegates from the union and the employers held a conference. A further stop-work meeting 'took place yesterday morning and the men did not return to work. Unfortunate Time

The manager, Mr. W. Kearns, stated yesterday that he was notified by the president of the union, Mr. E. Gimblett and the secretary, Mr. J.

Purtell, that at a stop-work meeting the men had decided to go on strike, and that a further meeting would be held at 8 o’clock this morning. It was also stated that the union had decided to leave the firemen and batch-mixers at their posts until a further course of action was decided on at to-day’s meeting. “The trouble comes at a most unfortunate time,” said Mr. Kearns. “Our trade is more or less seasonal and the bulk of our customers are depending on large deliveries at this time of the year. The difficulties that users of bottles will have to face if the trouble is prolonged will be easy to imagine. The principal consumers are the breweries, aerated water manufacturers, condiment manufacturers, wholesale and retail chemists and 'the Christmas toilet and perfume trade. If the trouble extends, the milk trade will become involved and, in short, every bottl? user in the country will be affected.” Bottle Shortage Possible Mr. Kearns pointed out that the stoppage would have serious consequences. The present output was 5000 gross of bottles a week, and his firm was the only one in the Dominion manufacturing bottles. At the present time they were carrying on with a low output by means of a skeleton staff. Normally, there are four units making bottles and yesterday only, two were in use and the skeleton staff had been split up into shifts to enable the plant to be manned.

Another industry to be a flee ted was the manufacture of corrugated cardboard for cartons, these being used for packing wine, beer, spirits and many commercial commodities replacing wooden cases to a large extent. The only manufactory in New Zealand was operated at Penrose by the firm now affected by the strike, and the employees were members of the Glass Workers’ Union so that the work was at a standstill. Mr. Kearns claimed that the company was paying higher wages than in other industries and, he understood, that the men’s grievance was not against the company but against the Arbitration Court. The wage in

1931 was £4 2s 6d and the stated policy of the court was to allow an increase of 5s a week on the 1931 figure to meet the increased cost of living. When the last award was before the court, an increase of 4s was made, bringing the rate to £4 6s. 6d. On this figure the employers now offered an additional 2s, making the figure £4 8s Gd which was claimed to be Is a week above what would have been granted on the basis of the pronouncement made by the court. Furthermore, the 1931 figure paid to glass workers was held to be above the rates ruling at that time in other industries. Union Member’s Version

According to a member of the union at the stop-work meeting last week, a resolution was carried that work be resumed pending a conference within 48 hours. The men were not advised that any conference had been held yesterday afternoon. A pamphlet was circulated among the men calling a stop-work meeting for yesterday to discuss business for the proposed conference. The pamphlet stated, he said, that the meeting would also consider the advisability of cancelling the registration of the Auckland Glass Works’ Employees Union under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. The meeting was held yesterday morning and a resolution was passed that the men adjourn the meeting until 8 a.m. today to allow the employers’ representative to secure a fixture for the hearing of the dispute by the Arbitration Court. It was stated that Mr. Anderson would appear in court at 10 a.ra,; yesterday when he would make the application. The resolution was carried by a big majority. An amendment to the resolution was put to the meeting suggesting that the men carry on work till 8 a.m. to-day pending a definite decision, but it was defeated on a vote of the majority, only a very small minority being in favour cf the amendment. LINESMEN CEASE WORK AUCKLAND POWER BOARD WAGE DISPUTE SETTLED (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. About 120 linesmen employed by the Auckland Electric-Power Board ceased work on Tuesday because of a dispute with the board on the question of the interpretation of the award affecting wages.

The dispute was settled in the afternoon and the men resumed yester-

day. Following a stop-work meeting on Tuesday morning, the representatives of the men met the board in conference, the proceedings lasting until the luncheon hour. In the afternoon, committees of the men and of the board conducted negotiations ending in a settlement.

In the course of the day, the boards staff was able to carry out some emergency work on the power lines.