AN EXERTION WAGE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 412, 22 January 1909, Page 3

AN EXERTION WAGE.

. - DISCUSSION BY THE.TRADES AND ■ LABOUR: COUNCIL.: . Theexertion; wage " received, the .attention' of v the' Trades and Labour '. Council at last* night's meeting. : : -.- ' / Mr.' D. j; Conohie; stated that. ho. observed that ; .the,'.workmen .employed at the Otira Tun-. I riel works had been, induced; to accept an exertion Vwage.;;.He; thcjught -;it : wos .very .unsatisfactory .that such :an . inducement- should;' be offered on- any Government" contract.: He' 'saw that Mr. M'L&an had stated '.in '.an' interview, that ..-tho. maximum for ono day's .work .was 66'.'feet/ and that already .the men, had. got--8 feet over that .maximum', .which, '.at the-rate 0f.,£1 a; fpot; would mean an iriorease' of. wages ,by ; about; Is.. per., head ■ per diem. - Ho moved that the council put on record its dissatisfaction with; such, a state of affairs existing, on a ,Governmont contract, and that ;a. copy of the', .resolution bo sent to tho Premier; • '■'? Mr. Parlano thought they should refer, hotto tho Premier, but to'the miners .themselves;' ■He believed! that?they wore'unionists, and their, attention should bo drawn to the fact that they' ;were; Violating op.'o'f.-the' .first;principles of. ■unionism. . :An. employer ,was quite, within his' rights ;in getting/the- bestyiiut of .'hisl-men. '1 It: should look alive) and,do their •best to get .the. most they could out of their employers. Ho moved,;.as' an;amendment, that •a lettor be sent.vto. the miners regretting that, they had so far forgottfen the principles: of' unionism as- to accept, this exertion, ' wage, j ■ . .MrK.W.. T. Young, said 'he did :'not see- the praotical.use of sending a-motion to the men protesting against; an action ■ which' they' had 'taken, of-their own..account. •. He-thought they should .pass a resolution, and suggest in it that in-'all Goyornment .contracts .there should bo a stipulation 1 to; the effect that tho men ■ should re-' ceive/ a .fair- remuneration: for wort done, and I tliat there should bo no such thing as an exertion ;wage • permitted, ». No..blame' could be' at-1 tached to Mr. M'lean. : ■ .' . ... • ;;,The amendment, was: put and. lost, also the motion : . ... •' : Mr. Young' fte n . moved:"That this council regrets -to observe that the. men -employed at .the;.Otira Tunnel have: agreed:to?an .exertion' ;wage', which, is. opposed, to the best principles of . trades unionism,:and that a; copy, of.this' resolution be. forwarded to tho Government, along •with a request that in all; future Government . contracts a.stipulation be inserted to the-effect that all'men-employed on.such'work's.shall rocfcive al.proper .remuneration for services : ren- i ;dered,. and, no ;such thing.a's an-exertion wage shall-be permitted." ;• . ■ .;This'.'was, . seconded ; by Mr. J. Purchas, and carried. .. ; A'-; ■■■.:':■ \ '.... j:,