TWO MEN REFUSED EMPLOYMENT

Southland Times, Issue 24602, 26 November 1941, Page 4

TWO MEN REFUSED EMPLOYMENT

BELFAST FREEZING WORKS (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 25. Further .employment to two men, who have been branch delegates at their Belfast freezing works, has been refused by Thomas Borthwick and Sons, Ltd. Before thte chain began work at the opening of the season today its members held a meeting to discuss the company’s attitude and later began killing under protest after a delegate, pro tern, was elected. A further meeting of the branch will be held next week, when a second chain will be engaged. Work proceeded smoothly today and the possibility of other branches being involved in the later discussions between the company and the Belfast branch of the Canterbury Freezing Workers’ Union is considered to be remote. Neither the company nor the secretary of the union, Mr H. G. Kilpatrick, would make any statement on the development or the events leading up to it. The position was fully explained to 38 chain workers at Belfast when they held their usual meeting at the beginning of the season today by the union secretary. The union executive, it is reported, had decided that there should be no stoppage of work and further developments are now unlikely until another meeting of the full branch is held next week.

Single chains were set in operation at all the other Canterbury works today, the season opening smoothly. Good supplies of stock are coming forward and regular deliveries at the works for as far ahead as Christmas are expected by the companies.