THE TROUBLE AT WAINGAWA.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 January 1927, Page 6

THE TROUBLE AT WAINGAWA.

The action of the management of the Waingawa freezing works in dismissing all the butchers employed there and replacing them by free labour slaughtermen will be approved not only by the producers whose stock'is handled at the works but also by all who regard an undertaking between two parties as binding upon both. It will be remembered that at the commencement of this season, in spite of the fact that an award of the Court (to which the union was a party) was still in operation, the slaughtermen demanded an increase in wages and declined to start work unless the rise were conceded . At certain works, including Waingawa, the owners of the stock awaiting treatment promised assistance in organising a supply of free labour, and the ‘‘hold tip” which the unionists apparently anticipated failed to materialise. Recognising that the men had been ill advised by their socalled leaders, and that a majority of the unionists were willing to abide by an award, the employers agreed, if work were resumed forthwith, to join with the . .ion in seeking a new award, as there were certain rates and conditions in the existing one which the employers also considered required amendment. These terms the union accepted. It was made clear to the employees that this agreement depended upon unionists working side by side with any free labour men who desired to retain the employment given them when unionists refused to work, and that work was to proceed as if no dispute had occurred. At the majority of the works the arrangement has been loyally accepted and work has proceeded according to schedule. This haa evidently not been the case at Waingawa, where Irritation tactics have obtained, with the usual result of a reduction In output. It is quite time trade unions learnt that they cannot have it both ways. There is no

one quicker to resent any apparent breach of an agreement or an award by the employer than a militant unionist. For himself, he will keep to the conditions just sr long as he sees no advantage in doing otherwise, and this attitude has too frequently been allowed to pass without notice by the employers. Doubtless the latter have thereby averted a dispute from time to time, but the price of such peace has been a growing disregard on the part of the unions of the obligations an agreement entails. No one should be better aware than the slaughtermen that at present the freezing works throughout the Dominion have quite as many troubles as any industry can carry without their being added to by a wilful reduction in output on the part of the employees. It is unfortunate for the Waingawa works, where difficulties are certainly no less than elsewhere, that this fresh trouble should interfere with the season’s output, but the management is taking a stand which will probably be of considerable benefit to the industry as a whole.