LYTTELTON HARBOUR EMPLOYEES

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1172, 6 July 1911, Page 6

LYTTELTON HARBOUR EMPLOYEES

PROPOSED INCREASE IN WAGES. (By Telegraph—Plots Association.) Christchurch, July 5. A nolice of motion by Mi'. T. E. Taylor, that an all-round increase in wages of 5 per ccnt. be granted to the Lyttelt™ Harbour Board s employees receiving Hum ~175 per annum, was discussed Inday. Mr. Taylor said that, it seemed to bo a very easy matter for salaried officers to obtain increases, but it was entirely different when they came to the daily wage mail. Olio of the board's officers had recently got an increara of ,£iflfl a year. (Mr. Kaye: Very well deserved, too.) . Mr. Taylor said that, he was not assuming otherwise. Conditions of labour fell very lightly on the salaried officers as compared with the wages man. He did nut believe that the whole of the time of tho engineer ivss employe;! ii: connection with the working of his office. The board ought to have his time. Mr. C. Cuuk seconded tho motion; The chairman made ,a suggestion that the ma iter be referred ta the Harbour Board Improvement Committee. Mr. Taylor agreed with this, and suggested 'iiai tit;- whole i/jlit'dule of hours of employment of tho staff should be gone into. The chairman said, that tho engineer wii.« under a special agreement. Mr. Kaye said that Mr. Taylor's referenc.' to the engineer was in exceedingly bad taste. The board liad been unanimous in its .appreciation of the engineer's work. They congratulated themselves drat they had the services of siicli an i Hiiiuont engineer. He believed that the | workers were content, anil the d' 3 cussii>n could only raise a spirit of discontent, lie deprecated (ho companson between I'.t-it w."ir.<w." end *':•> .>nii.u;r,v worker whose wages were the subject oi' awards, lie did not think that there would be any chance of the board departing irom its' previous position. Mr. Taylor said that vvidently .Mr. Kaye did not know much about the working man. After further discussion, 111 the course of which Mr. C. Allison said that (h» wages paid )>v the board were equal lo thole paid by other bodies, the matter was referred to the committee. 11l the report of the Harbour Improvements Committee certain increases lo l.ho stair, aggregating ..€35(5 7s. per annum, wfirfi provided for. Thew were referred bank. '