BUTCHERS IDLE AT BELFAST

Southland Times, Issue 23437, 18 February 1938, Page 6

BUTCHERS IDLE AT BELFAST

Official Mediation Fails

NEGOTIATIONS MAY BE REOPENED

DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF CAUSE OF DISPUTE

(United Press Association)

CHRISTCHURCH, February 17.

Mediation by a conciliation commissioner having fatted—a deadlock being reached after consultations with both the men and the employers —the chain slaughtermen employed by Thomas Borthwick and Sons (Australasia), Ltd., at the works at Belfast were idle today for a second day. A stalemate was called early in the day and hopes of an early settlement of the dispute were remote until late tonight,- when there was every possibility of the negotiations for a settlement being reopened

tomorrow morning. All the men involved in the dispute —they number 236—were at the company’s works this morning. They did not start slaughtering. A notice posted at the works on Wednesday ordering the slaughtermen to collect their wages at the office also stated that the foreman would re-engage labour on the following morning. A call was made and was immediately answered by two men prominently connected with the Freezing Workers’ Union. They were not engaged and the remaining : len declined to accept employment. Charges of victimization were made by the men against the company and the company’s answer was given by its representatives when they met Mr M. J. Reardon, Conciliation Commissioner, who, under instructions, had left Wellington hurriedly to attempt to settle the dispute. The nature of the company’s reply to the charges was not divulged. Seventy butchers employed in the pig and beef departments at Belfast were working and did not become involved.

BETTER HOPE OF SETTLEMENT A further conference with the men’s representative was held by Mr Reardon in the afternoon, at which stage the issue was clearly that of the employment of the two men, the causes of the dispute—and as to them the company and the union are at variance—having become almost of secondary importance. Hopes for an early settlement, were apparently not held by either side at that juncture, but the possibilities of further negotiation and a settlement improved and Mr Reardon, who had intended to return to Wellington tonight, cancelled his arrangements and remained in Christchurch. “The men will offer themselves for work tomorrow as they'did this morning,” stated Mr H. G. Kilpatrick, the union secretary, tonight, following a meeting of the. Federation of Labour. “The two men who were rejected will again be the first to offer their labour.” The views of the company were contained in a statement issued after its representatives had met the Conciliation Commissioner.

“The primary cause of the trouble concerned the dismissal of a foreman,” it was stated. “The men seem to have abandoned that and are charging the firm with having fatted to man the chains fully. The position is that no opportunity was afforded the employers of making good the deficiencies on the second chain before go-slow tactics were adopted. The position was that on Wednesday two chains were fully manned, with the exception that on No. 2 chain one man was absent. At the moment there was not a man available and if time had been allowed the vacancy could have been filled, but between 8 a.m. and 8.45 a.m. go-slow tactics were put into operation on both chains, notwithstanding that the No. 1 chain had its complement.”