DISPUTE ARISES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVII, Issue 21528, 15 December 1939, Page 4

DISPUTE ARISES

Borthwick’s Belfast Works Workers Refuse To Man j Third Chain By Telegraph—Press Association CHRISTCHURCH, December 14. The refusal of the workers to agree to man a third chain at the Canterbury works at Belfast of Thomas Borthwick and Sons (Australasia), Ltd., this afternoon, led to the company carrying out its ultimatum that no more stock would be supplied for the existing chains until the additional chain was manned. The result is that the works will be idle to-morrow, the company having intimated to the men that no stock will be available until they operate the extra chain.

An official statement by the Canterbury Freezing and Related Trades Union defines the stoppage of work as a “lock-out,” while the company quotes the award provisions as giving it the full right to manage and control its own business. Governmental intervention has been | made in the first labour dispute of the I 1939-40 freezing season. The Minister I for Labour, the Hon. P. C. Webb, has ! been in communication with both the j company and the Disputes Committee | of the Canterbury Council of the , Federation of Labour. Neither side was disposed to-night to disclose the j nature of the Minister’s communications or the replies, or to say whether they had approached the Minister or whether he had first communicated with them.

At present the dispute is localised at the Belfast works of the company. A general meeting of the Freezing Workers’ Union has been called for tomorrow night. Although the company has announced that no stock will be available for killing by two chains in the morning. • the workers have arranged to hold a meeting at the works at 8 o’clock and to offer their services. The Disputes Committee of the Federation of Labour stated to-night that it was still hopeful that the question of manning the third chain would be referred to a disputes committee provided for in the award. On the other hand the company through its manager, expressed its determination that the workers should first man the additional chain before it would refer the matter to the Disputes Committee.