EMPLOYER AND WORKMEN

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 160, 31 March 1908, Page 6

EMPLOYER AND WORKMEN

THREE MEN DISCHARGED. THE TWO SIDES OF THE CASE. ; .At the recent sitting bf' tlio ; Arbitration Court, the Stewart Timber, Glass, and Hardware Co., Ltd.,; wore proceeded against for certain alloged breaches of the Timber Yards and Sawmills award. In one case, ccrtain men who had been classed as yard labourers wore, said '; tho prosecution, employed as yardmen at less than the minimum rates of pay. •' In this particular case the .parties had agreed to treat it as an application for an interpretation of the award. . - ■ The second case related to a first-class sawyer,'who was stated to have been employed at less than -the minimum rates of -wages' fixed by the award for. this class of labour. 1 In this instance the Court held that abroach had; been committed, and. ordered - the tea-. pondent company to pay costs. •' . ■_ Included among the employees who -were involved in i these two were three men, Charles Maddisoii; and Harold' Taylor, 1 yard? • men, and J. Chester,- first-class sawyer. ! These three men, it is stated, received back pay with the others, but in their case there accompanied tho extra emolument an intimation, that'their services would no longer bo required. The incident has caused considerable feeling among members' of the Union, who consider that the men liavo .been martyred. A representative of the Dominion interviewed one .of them—Mr. J. Chester—last nightj and obtained from him a recital of tho as .they applied to liis particular oase. Mr! Chester, who described himself as a first-class sawyer in tho StQwart Timber Mills, -told the reporter that ho had been in the Company.'s employ for ' about, two years and ten months.; It .was his duty, lie: said, ..to look after, the saws, and occasionally, of his own free will, and without any hint from the Company that ho was to do so, ho hammered , some of'tho'-saws. /The alward .defines "a firstrclass sawyer -. as .' follows"A first-class, sawyer' 'means a' sawyer ; who keeps his own saw,- but it shall' form no part of nis duty, to hammer a saw." His wages wero £2.145. Under the award he' should have received. £2 17s. 6d. --_-one day.,tho- of Factories came: along and asked him a few questions about his work. ;' Mr. Chester replied,', giving in substance what has. already been stated re-garding-both his duties and his .self-imposed-:duties.;" He states that.'he had. nothing to; do with the visit : of .the: factory inspector, nor of the 'subsequent proceedings; at the Arbitration Court.. . "All I know was,", hb.said, ''that' I got a : notice: to appear at. the: Court J and l l went. , Afterwards, when pay-day,' came, I was given back payYfor the difference,' and told -that I . was not', required .any longer."-.; joii intend to do about the matter?" '.;■.■■■

"Well, tho Inspector is at -Wanganui just 1 now, and tho' Secretary : of . the Union is away. ; But something will bo done." ■'Would your association-with'the -Union liavo had< anything to do witii this ?!'. (Mr.Chester is President of the Union.) i• "I donlt- think so. I don't think - thofirm knew, I was President,'as I haveheld the. offico for -a short time only." . THE GOMPANY'S POINT OF VIEW. STATEMENT. BY THE SECRETARY. ■ lilr.; :W. D.\'Lyonj'. secretary, Of .the: Stew art Timber, ■/.' Glass, and : Hardware V Co';, Ltd., when seen ■ by,,; a Dominion reporter;. made tho following statement : .;'v " Wo are working 'under an award .which was published last January. We adjusted tho wages Sheet according to the awards/arid graded our ;rnen by ouri knowlodge of whatthey. were-. doing; ■ Tho Union subsequently made, representations!; .through ; thoLabour! Department to; the'. effect tliat .five men who were being-jjaid as labourers were really , yardmen. We agreed to; take tho decision of tho Arbitration Court. Tho case eamo'.on last -week, iand, the;.Court f ;upheld our; contention labour,ers) in - the majority "of, the . cases,: but ruled that one of tliem was a yardsmam As wo did not consider he was qualified; to do the work we: required wo discharged him, and we have since ■ takon on a yardsman ■ at • a higher wage than that named in the award. ' It is, not a mattor of wages with its, but if wo are to pay ; certain -wages we must , have men who can oarn the money. One other, man was - decided' ( by ;: the: .Court to be ~a •sawyer.' .We wanted a better•• class .man, :and, therefore,' discharged' that' man;' also. Tho only other man who .was connected' ;withtho; cases before !■ Couft,. t and has since been • dismissed, was,'::a.-labourer,, and had been classed as .such by the .Court, llio fact ■ that ho-was before the Court had: nothing to do with his dismissal. - He had ■to< go bocause wo had not' work enough to koep' him employed;: It . just in the ordinary course of br.si7.eßs. _Wo are cbhtinnally taking on men 'j.nd' putting them' off.",