AUCKLAND ABATTOIR

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 64, Issue 4528, 26 January 1942, Page 5

AUCKLAND ABATTOIR

MEN DEREGISTERED ACTION BY THE MINISTER A call for labour to man the Auckland municipal abattoir at Westfield was authorised by the Mayor, Mr J. A. C. Allum, on Friday night, after receiving advice from the Minister of Labour, the Hon. P. C. Webb, that the works had been declared an essential industry under the National Service Emergency Regulations and that the abattoir branch of the Workers’ Union had been deregistered. In the eVent of sufficient labour offering, it was intended to reopen the works this morning. The Minister’s action in bringing the industry within the regulations is in compliance with a request made to him recently by the Auckland City Council. Difficulties in staffing the works were accentuated by the dispute created when the labourers sought an increase in wages. The Council refused to entertain the claims, and after several interruptions in work last week the works were closed down on Wednesday under the instructions of the Mayor. The deregistratjon of the works branch of the Union automatically cancels the award governing the payment and conditions of employment ,of workers, at the abattoir.: It was.-subsequently confirmed by the Conciliation Commissioner, Mr C. L. Hunter, that the deregistration applies. only to the works concerned in the dispute and has no effect on other works. “It is the intention of the Council to engage labour at the award rates of pay and conditions, notwithstanding the Minister’s decision,” stated the Mayor. The abattoir manager, Mr W. R. Rugg, said that the normal complement of staff at the works was 27 slaughtermen and 35 labourers.