MEN RESUME AT WESTFIELD

Southland Times, Issue 23681, 2 December 1938, Page 8

MEN RESUME AT WESTFIELD

Decision Made At Mass Meeting

SECRET BALLOT NOT USED GATHERING ENDED WITH COMMUNITY SINGING (United Press Association) AUCKLAND, December 1. As the result of a decision reached at a mass meeting this morning, the majority of the 800 workers at Westfield who have been idle since Monday resumed work at one o’clock this afternoon. Butchers and boners will not start until tomorrow morning as all that those resuming this afternoon are required to do is in preliminary operations.

Contrary to expectations, the decision was not made by secret ballot, but in open meeting. It was considered a ballot was unnecessary, the meeting lasting about half an hour.

A telegram was received from the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) expressing willingness to assist in facilitating the hearing of the dispute by constitutional means, this being received enthusiastically.

Apparently the good feeling of the meeting held at the Trades Hall had much to do with the fact that a secret ballot was not taken. Officials of the union explained afterwards that had certain circumstances existed a secret ballot might have been essential, but it so happened that not a single request was heard for it this morning. “I don’t think the atmosphere of the meeting could have been more harmonious,” said the union secretary, Mr W. E. Sill, after the executive had reported to him on the developments. “There was no sign of any ill-feeling between the sections of the workers, and although at first a few seemed to think a premature step was being taken the decision to resume was practically unanimous.” The meeting rounded off with a brief session of community singing of such songs as “Pack Up Your Troubles” and “Rainbow on the River.” ■ The meeting also passed a resolution of continued confidence in the members of the executive and the secretary of the union.

DISRUPTIVE SECTION BLAMED EMPLOYEES LOSE ABOUT £3OOO (Special to The Times) AUCKLAND, December 1. The disruptive influences of a small, but controlling, section of the union at Westfield were regarded as one of the principal factors contributing to the industrial unrest at the works by a well-informed slaughterman. Emphasizing the fact that the employees had lost about £3OOO in ceasing work this week to gain nothing that could not have been achieved by constitutional means, he alleged that the system on which votes were taken at the works was more often than not a travesty on democratic procedure. “The whole trouble seems to arise that the men principally involved in the present dispute want to earn big money without doing the work,” the slaughterman stated. “On the lamb and mutton ‘ring’ the workers have imposed a voluntary restriction, limiting their output to 100 head of stock an hour for each legger employed. For instance, if five leggers are working they are prepared to handle only 500 lambs an hour.”

Other sections of the slaughtermen were also on piecework, but no similar restrictions were imposed and it was the aim of each team to draw the highest wages by producing the biggest possible output. The question of staffing the mutton “ring” had arisen last year and the employers had agreed to reduce the number of men employed on the system from about 90 to 57 if the restriction were lifted. This would enable the men to earn 38/6 a day. The proposal was originally accepted, only to be rejected shortly after in favour of a claim that the staff on the ring should be reduced to 35. “Men who have been sufficiently game to expose intimidation that is common at the works have won the admiration of scores of their colleagues,” it was explained. “No fair indication of the feeling of the men on an important issue can be obtained without a secret ballot, but this was bitterly opposed by members of the executive during the present dispute. Finally, it was obtained by applying the union rule which states that any four members can demand a secret ballot.” The case was quoted of an earlier dispute which arose in August over the dressing room accommodation at the works. On this occasion a motion to cease work was proposed, together with an amendment that the 5000 head of stock on hand should be killed and

a meeting held later to determine the progress made in the dispute. A division was called and when about 100 men walked to one side of the room in favour of the amendment they were subjected to cat-calls, hooting and jeering. “None of the men want to lose time and wages, particularly at this period of the year,” it was added. “Extremist views do not dominate the union at other works and, consequently, they do not have the same stoppages as have occurred at Westfield.”