EMPLOYEES WANT POWER BOARD TO RESIGN

Chronicle (Levin), 25 July 1947, Page 5

EMPLOYEES WANT POWER BOARD TO RESIGN

■press AsSociation

By Telegraph-

AUCKLAND) July 24. The resignatioh of the chairman oi of the Auckland Power Boardj Mr. B. Irwin Crookes, and lfiemberS of tlii power board, is demafidbd- by Various sections of the board 's empi'oyefes. The demand is a sequel t'o a questionnaire prepared by the board for applicants r'or clerical positions. The principai objection is to the question relating to the church attended by applicants. Other obj'efetions are to questiohs abont sch'ool attended, occupation of father, niembership of societies or elubs^ and the vvages the applicant is prephred to accept. At a .stop work mfebtifig today 120 electrieal workers, engineers, drivers, .'.arpentfers and storem.eii-pae.kers passed a resolution demanding the resignation if the board. The resolution stated i 'We believe that m'en making sueh conditions are not fit and proper_ to represent the people of a free democratie country. ' ' The -meeting also decided to seek thc assistance of the Federation of LabOui " to guard. the democratie rights of power board employees. " It was also decided to demand that any questionnaire aiready returned by an applicant sliould be declared "void and that prefererfce be given to long service employees with the necessarv quali.fications when positions became vacant. * In a statement on the qufestibnnaire given to the preks, the board 's sodre tary, Mr. N. M. Bpeer, said it Bad been used by the board , for years: It was in line with questionnaires used by private employers. It had bieen useil for bovs afid gifts joiiiiiig the clefi'cal staff. In the case bf special positions recentlv 'advertisgd by the board, the same questionnaire had been used orlginallv but l'atef it had been modified because it was realisbd that not all the questions were applicable. A new ques tionnaire had been prepared afid tlie, original withdrawn wherever pohsilile in these partic.ular cases.