THE WOOLLEN MILL DEADLOCK

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2733, 30 March 1916, Page 7

THE WOOLLEN MILL DEADLOCK

POSITION REVIEWED

FROM THE COMPANY'S STANDi ' POINT. — The' following statement of the company's side/Oi' the pyescnt woollen mill ueuolock ha-s boon prepared for pulilieation by Mr. A. 15. Donno, secretary of tlie Woollen Company ;— Owing- to the numerous misrepresentations ol fact made on behalf of tne workers, with a viow, no doubt, lo gaining public sympathy, the directors feci compelled to publisn their view of tne case, and to point out some of the principcl inaccuracies whicti have been given expression to through the Press. it is stireiy the strangest anomaly, -at a timo wlion our Empire is in tho throes of the greatest struggle the world has ever seen, a war onteretl into because it is recognised by our people that treaties and solemn engagements must bo observed as binding on all parties if peaco is to be seoiired, and if flight instead of Forco is to prevail, that a section of the employees should be at war with a company which is under contract to 6upply imiicary equipment, anu mat suoii u.ifurenoe should ariso tli,rough tl.e workers, under advice, deliberately tearing nptheir "surag of paper" and roiusiug to recognise tueir o»n signed agreeineuc as any longer binding upon them wnen the., "liua it jnconventej'jt mat ji suou.u uo

in August, 1914, 'the representatives of the W'oi'Kers' unions, alter j/i-o.ont'ia Ui»pubsiou "witn tae omciais ol me uilll-own-ers, nnally ugwca upon a swim ol wages and. remuneration lor worKurs, wliiuli filiould be buidiiig on both titles mi till Hay, 11)17, ami upon me strcngta of wttich nionuiacturers could enter into contracts in respect of tneir output ior luuxiy uioumti aiituu. Juid uyruemeiii was, so far as this company is ooucerueil, formally conhrmeU Oy me, Court ol Attntration on August 14, lull, and btoiuie an award of tno Court governing tins industry,, and the company paiaits empwyees uocorumg to tuo nu»- miuio ao trom August 1. v ;

jxecojjiiiMiig that the position of the 6kiUed weavers had not been improved under tile award, mo uirectoru iiy .paid them 7^. per cent, in excess of tuo log rare, auu just beiore tlio picsem trouble awae the mill manager mado a' turtlier concession in the wecuod of weaving khalri which enabled tliose oil tliut work to earn an additomal approximate 8 per cent, in the same time. The directors also agreed to pay these pieceworkers tor silt statutory Holidays i'i the yoar, ivinch no other mill cuu. it will he. seen tnat, with the bonus promised them,, the Knaki weavers are belter olT' l>y 2uJ per cent. than under the log- covered Dy the award, and yet the weavers 6ee*:i 10 Lkj lao pruicipui aguutoia 101 another ■ increase. '-Tea lor overtime workers was also provided, which was not compulsory, and cost the company about .£IOO a year. At the end of the company's llaaiicial year, July 31, 1915, and alter the award had ben in force a year, tho directors ioun-i that from tne extra turnover and 6aie of ' pre-existing stocK the company had had a prosperous year, and declared a bonus of 5 per cent, upon its capital lor shareholders, and at mo same time,, in order to acknowledge the loyal work ol its staff, recouiwenutd snaronotdero t-u grant a bonus of 5 per cent, to all the employees at Petone, Wellington, Christohurcn, Auckland, and Dunedin, .upon their full earnings, ordinary as well as overtime (which is paid for at the rate of time and a quarter and time and a halt) during tlie past year, approximate ing 10 per eeut. of the net proht. Tho shareholders gladly and unanimously. agreed to this course, and tne company paid out ,£!M7O by this voluntary concession. The union secretary would from the reports of his speeches have the public believe that the directors voted themselves £500 each, whereas the shareholders/at the conclusion of the annual meeting referred to, recognising that" the directors' honorarium had not been increased for thirteen years, notwithstanding- the continued growth of tho company entailing more time and atten tion from them, proposed and unanimous, ly carried a motion voting to- the directors, to be divided amongst them as they might arrango. The, bonus of 5 per cent, paid to employees in a lump sum seemed to be higl.-\ ly appreciated by them, many sawng it was the first occasion upon which any of them had been so treated by any employer, and no other mill in tne lioinmlon followed the example. ' Work veil! on smoothly for another six months, anil we entered into fresh aud wy targe contracts with the Minister of Munitions for further military supplies,. ali mills being, paid the same contract pfices ,and all working under the mroe award wites. Early in 1916 the Mill Union membera met, and resolved to ask the directors for a 10 per eeut. war bonus. The directors, decided to ascertain, what was happening in connection with tho question in regard to other mills. It was ascertained that the Secretary of the Otago union had written to tho mill owners quoting the generosity of the Wellington Woollen Company in voluntßiily.l gmng employees 5 per cent.' last year, and.asked that a similar concession should he made to them. The nouthern mill owners deoided later to pay a war bonus of 5 per cent, on ordinary earnings from that date only—during the war. The Petone union was then informed that the request for 10 por. cent, could not bo granted. After a. few days a conference with tho union representatives was held when, notwithstanding that it was pointed out how unfair it was to demaud 10 per cent, from the company, whilo competitors were not expected to pay more! than 5 per .cent., the union adhered to ils demand for an all-round 10 per cent. It was also intimated by tho union that the overtime )>eing worked was a menace to the health l of the workers, who would have to cease.6uch overtime, but we were led to infer that if they were granted the 10 por cent, their health would probably stand the strain. The directors then, for this year, made an offer more than twice as good as tho concession mndo by tholr competitors. They offered to pay 5 per cent, war'bonus from February 1, during the war, and at the end of the company's year on July '31 would ask shareholders to vote 5 per cent, special bonus in one 6um for the period August 1, 1915, to February 1, 1916, and that both such bonuses should be on overtime as well as ordinary earnings. This offer was turned down by the union, which adhered to its demand, insisting that the increase in tho cost of living justified such a demand. It was pointed out to tho union that all the country felt this pinch, and it was no very great hardship if operatives could, by working reasonable overtime, at timo and a quarter pay, much more than compensate for th». extra cost of living. Many shareholders havo through t'lo war lost half their in'come and more, and have nt» chance to make up the leeway by working overtime. The Mill Union sems to think 'that becauso the company is doing well low the workers should share the pntits, when under no circumstances would they agree to sharo losses, should sucli overtake tho company. It should be noted that the company's operations are not represented by its. woollen 1 mills alone. Thero nro clothing factories 'in Wellington and Christchurch, besides which tho ware, housing and importing trade has largely developed. Tho staff, independent of tho 250 at the mill, numbers WO, so that tho profit shown is not derived solely from the efforts of the woollen mill workers. Up to this stage the union had'negotiated within its. right, and had not. broken its agreement, but when it was seen that the directors refused to be singled out for special demands, the workers were deluded into thinking the.v could enforce those demands by nil leaving the eoriipanyN employ on a week's notice without- breaking the law. Those wlio deniurrod to "putting in their notices" witfi the rest were coerced by others, and had to do so under threat of work being immediately stopped. All the. unionists willimrly and unwilling have now left the mill,'and are carrying on a strike campaign. The directors have reason to think that many of the. workers believo the assurances of their advisers that they are. acting perfectly lecall.v, though no one should know belter than their profesional unionist, secretnrv, who i* not an employee of the company, and not personally roneenml In Hie 'dli-pulA Hwl Mie.V m flfSlii.Hliv ikins the law. and striking at toe

whole fabric of our arbitration system and returning to the tactics of "direct action and strikes."

Whatever concessions the directors may be justified in making under special ciroumsfytnees, they feel that they must in the defence of our whole industrial arbitration system take a firm stand, aud refuse to grapt concessions with, the striko pistol at their heads. 'in justification .of their stand, the provisions of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1908 (No. 23!)), so far as they affect the' question, arc quoted for the benefit,of alt concerned:—

Section 3 (1). In .this Act the term "striko" means tlio act of any' number of workers who nre or lmvo been in ,tho employment whether of the name em ployer or of ditforonh employers in discontinuing that' employment whether wholly or partially, or in. breaking their contracts of service, or in refusing or failing after any such discontinuance to resume or return to their employment,, tho said discontinuance broach, refusal, or failure Being, due to any combination, agreement, or common understanding, whethor express or implied, made or entered into'by the said workers— (a) With intent to compel or induce any Buch employed to agree to terms of employment; or comply with any demands made by the said or any other workers. Section 6 (3). When a striko or lock-out takes place, and a majority of. members of any industrial union or industrial association a-re at any time parties to the striko or look-out, the said union or association shall bo deemed to havo instigated the strike or lock-out. The average <?f operatives wages, as stated by the union secretary, aro not. correct. Excluding foremen, and with the 5 per cent, bonus paid last year, and guaranteed' this yoar, the earnings ol the men over 21 years of age range from «C 2 10s. id. for unskilled labour to .£1 3s. 3d., without overtimo,.for skilled operatives. The women and girls above the learnor's stage range from 235. 6d. to k 535. 7d. per week, without overtime. But the taking of an average in this way, including the indifferent workers, with others, is not the fairest way to the employer, of ■ showing the earnings. Some of the smarter and more diligent women, and they should represent tho true earning. power, show, with bonus, but no overtime, such amounts as SB?. 5d., 535. 7d„ 535.; 525. 6d.. 475. 3d., 445., 395. Bd., 38s. Tel., 30s. Id., 375. 9d., and so on down to 225. -7d. for the least efficient and the youiigest. girl under 18, who works 45 hours. . . •; A great deal has been published about skilled workers receiving the award minimum, and this gives the impression, as it is designed to do, that every man employed in , ; or about a'woollen mill is of necessity an expert. That is not so, for the best of those men-receiving the minimum, plus, a bonus,of s'per cont., making JE2 10s. id., do not need any skill beyond what practice may bring, so making their work easier. Indeed, some of them are doing that .wMch any boy or girl of 11 could do'with greater facil'ty.' In the disability of New Zealand mills to obtain young persons for light work lies one of the ■ difficulties in competing against the foreign producer. If these men who have steady work, unbroken by weather conditions, are able by physical ability, wheh is more or less their only asset, to earn moro at other occupations, then why do they remain at the mills? They na> - e hot been made incapable ior. other work by reason of having worked at the mill, and- if they have remained a number of years , drawing what tliey consider ■ an inadequate wago,. they, can only blame themselves. Those operatives deem'ed to be engaged in' skilful duties are specially named in the award, which after dealing with w6o)-sorters, tuners, warpers, patternweavers, 'spinners, aud assistant turners, mentions, "ail others not governed by an award £2 3s.' per- week." The "other governed l>y an award" being carpenters, enginers,'. etc. Nevertheless,. the directors,, iu the presence of the lton. the Minister of Munitions, undertook to make individual adjustments iu the rates' ot the unskilled where it could be shown that such were warranted. The. girls employed at tho mills (excepting beginners) earn good wages, and in most cases their earnings depend on their own aptitude, and particularly their own dili?ence. When they seek work elsewhere hey, are offered lew money, uu'd this at a time when labour is not plentiful. To concede a general 10 per cent, increase -s unscientific. Many of the workers do uot need it, whereas ini tome cases inquiry might show that it was a fair allowance. Individual cases the directors will always bo prepared to confer on their merits, and if any anomalies or Bpecial hardships exist they can'bo. rectiitied, but tho directors, in face of. tl.e [award and the present law, will not allow ■ their concern to be »-au at the-diciu-I tion of a union which is on striko.