VARIATION OF AWARDS

Southland Times, Issue 24650, 23 January 1942, Page 4

VARIATION OF AWARDS

Resentment Among

Unions

(P.A.) AUCKLAND, January 22. A test of strength between the Government and certain industrial unions seems likely to develop in Auckland within the next few ■weeks. Recent Government orders resulting in a variation of awards have already caused some murmurings of trouble and some open breaches here. That the Government intends to act strongly in this regard is indicated by information obtained unofficially today that . a large number of summonses are in the course of preparation because of recent stoppages of work at the Westfield freezing works and the city abattoir, which is also situated at Westfield.

The number of freezing workers affected by summonses, it is stated, is likely to be about 14(k, The number lof summonses concerning abattoir workers is not known. The first hint that the Government is likely to be challenged comes from the Auckland Drivers’ Union, which was concerned yesterday in an industrial upset on the question of the annual picnic holiday and which hints at further action regarding the Anniversary Day holiday on Thursday next. Yesterday’s trouble concerned a dispute between the Drivers’ Union and the Master Carriers’ Association. The association has agreed to accept yesterday as having been a picnic holiday and issued a statement ‘ that drivers who had taken or been allowed a holiday yesterday would be paid the weekly wage without any deduction. Drivers who had worked would be paid an extra day’s pay in accordance with the Overtime and Holiday Suspension Order. They were also advised that the s&rne basis of payment would be made for Anniversary Day. It is understood that this announcement was received favourably by at least a section of the employees. UNION’S ATTITUDE

The secretary of the Drivers’ Union, Mr L. G. Matthews, stated today that it was the intention of the drivers to discuss these matters at a meeting on Sunday next. “It is the intention of the union,” he said, “to make every attempt to obtain for the workers who worked yesterday time and a-half plus ordinary time. A resolution will be submitted asking that Anniversary Day be observed by the employers in the terms and conditions of the award. If this resolution is passed and agreed to by the employers it is obvious that there will be no dispute. If it is not agreed to by the employers the question of taking other action is one that will be decided democratically by members of the union.”

Mr Matthews added that there was no provision in their awards for making the working of overtime or holiday work compulsory. It naturally followed that the workers could please themselves whether or not they worked for the amounts offered by the employers.

PROTEST AGAINST WORK STOPPAGES (P.A.) AUCKLAND, January 22. The Auckland Chamber of Commerce, after a committee discussion, passed the following resolution: “That the chamber communicate with the Associated Chamber urging it to convey to the Government its most grave concern at the lack of interest in the welfare of the country and / the deliberate flouting of the laws of the land manifest in recurrent stoppages of work interfering with the national war effort, and urging the Government to enforce the War Emergency Regulations immediately.”