SKILLED, OR UNSKILLED?

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1859, 19 September 1913, Page 5

SKILLED, OR UNSKILLED?

PASSAGE IN CITY COUNCIL. The Finance Committee of the City Council recommended last,evoning "that provision be mado in the agreement-to be entered into between the council and the Engine Drivers' Union that mem-, bers of the Australasian -Institute ofMarine Engineers and tlio members of tho Amalgamated Society of Engineers shall bo exempt from- the same." The Mayor thought it unfair that a marine engineer who had served his time in tho workshop,' and obtained his certificate should have to ioin an unskilled union before he could obtain <?•■ ployment under thoCity Council. -The samo thing applied in, respect, : to the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, the members of which had- to pass a Government examination before they could drivo machinery.- Was it fair to-ask mombers of two skilled unions to joi> an unskilled union 'to get employment on the City Council? He thought that it was preposterous, aifi* ho hoped the council would support So committee, who were unanimous, as they did not want to force men who haij obtained ; their certificates, into unskilled unions.

Commissioner Tregear oujected to .engine drivers being called unskilled, as though they were not so skilled as some engineers, it reflected upon them to say tho.v were unskilled. , .

Tho Mayor: Technically they are un 7 skilled. '

The recommendation was agreed to,