“STRIKING JUSTIFIED”

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXVIII, Issue 118, 13 May 1932, Page 3

“STRIKING JUSTIFIED”

Organised Labour View

EXPRESSED BY MB COOK VIOLENCE BY IRRESPONSIBLES. (Pei’ Press Association) WELLINGTON, Last Night. In a further statement to-day Mr A. J. Cook, president of tho Alliance of Labour, said that in his opinion the men had been justified in striking against the new scheme. This view, ho said, was the unanimous one of the entire organised Labour movement in Wellington. Mr Cook said ho would outline the actual position with regard to the strike of relief workers from tho point of view of organised Labour. He thought that in the first place the men had been justified in taking tho action they had in coming out on strike as a protest against the especially bad conditions and starvation rates of pay under tho new scheme. With reference to the crowd getting out of hand on Tuesday evening when windows were broken in Lambton Quay and Willis street, he honestly though the relief workers had not been responsible for it. Had Mr Coates given an immediate reply to the deputation that could have been taken back straight away to the men, Mr Cook did not think the trouble would have occurred. On Wednesday he had been invited to address the strike committee. He did so and proposed, that they should appoint a small committee of six to meet three representatives from the New Zealand Alliance of Labour, two from the Trades and Labour Council and Air P. Fraser, ALP.; the whole to constitute a negotiation committee to draw up claims for the relief workers, to have them approved by the strike committee and allow the Alliance to negotiate for a settlement on their behalf with tho Afinister.

“A few of the leaders of the strikers unfortunately swayed the. rest of the members against that attitude,,” Mr Cook said. “Consequently we were not allowed to negotiate.”

About the mooting they attempted to hold yesterday Air Cook added: I met a big crowd of men down hero and strongly advised them, not to take part in any public mooting outside at the present time. It was suicide to do so. Unfortunately they wore led to believe by a few irresponsible individuals that the police had given permission to hold tho meeting up in a vacant section.” “These people arc being led astray” Air Cook concluded.