FREEZING WORKS DISPUTE

Taranaki Daily News, 3 November 1926, Page 11

FREEZING WORKS DISPUTE

CLAIM FOR HIGHER WAGES HINT OF SERIOUS TROUBLE. POSSIBLE REPERCUSSION. By TelegrapS.—Preas AasoelaHen. Wellington, Last Night. Unless a speedy settlement of the claims of the slaughtermen for Increases in wages is reached there is a prospect that the trouble will develop. Inquiries made locally confirm the report from Hawke’s Bay that the dispute has been placed in the hands of the Alliance of Labour. It is understood that this action was taken owing to the failure of the efforts of the Slaughtermen’s Federation to secure a conference at which the claims of the men could be discussed. It is stated that the objections to granting increases in wages do not come so much from the farming community as from certain of the larger meat freezing concerns, but that if the farmers undertake to carry out killing operations at the works in the event of there being a shortage of the usual union labour, it is not unlikely that the dispute will have repercussions overseas, as certain action may be taken in so far as the handling and sale of New Zealand meat at Home is concerned. It was further stated that the dispute had really been inaugurated last year, but that this year strenuous efforts would be exerted to have the men’s claims considered.