PLASTERERS'DISPUTE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 123, 18 February 1919, Page 5

PLASTERERS'DISPUTE

EMPLOYERS' EXPLANATION

THE DEMAND FOR HIGHER

WAGES

The depute thai has arisen in the plastering trade was the subject of a statement made to a DOMINION reporter yesterday l>y the secretary of the: Wellington Builders and Contractors' Union of Employers. This, dispute lias involved the-' dismissal of some men, n.nd it is delaying work on some important buildings. "The award rate, including'.bonus, is Is. !)!d. per hour," stated the representative of Hie employer*. "The" employers granted an extra Id. an hour, and at their request the men worked an additional hour a day at overtime rates. The i!i-n thus, earned JB3 -17s, per. week, > For some time work went on satisfactorily on these terms. Then the workers app'i'bached the employers with a request that they be given'is. per hour. This the employ-; M's refused. The men then adopted, a. 'go-slow , ' policy, and when this became obvious the employers, concerned consult, ed. with the executive of the Master Builders' Union. Acting on the advice given, the employers then proposed to the workers that they should submit their claim for mi. increase to the Master Builders.. This the men refused to <lo; and persisted in 'going slow.' The employers again conforred with the Master Builders, and, in the absence of any spirit of ■ compromise on the part of the-men, the > employers were advised to dismiss those, workers who. were found' to be adopting the 'go-slow' policy. As a result a. num-. 'ber of the men were summarily dismiss- , ed. "The next step was taken by Mr. M. J. Reardon and Mr. Cornwell, as officers , of "the Wellington Trades and Labour Council, who interviewed the president' of the Master Builders' Union, with the • object of bringing about a settlement of ■ the.'trouble, if possible. They.were metj in a fair spirit, and were told that if; the men would return to "work and carry' it on satisfactorily, the master-builders would use their best endeavours Ho in-: duco the'employers to concede the men. .something. Further, in reply to Mr. j Reardon, the president stated that thei employers had already'proposed that a! conference should be held, and .they were j still prepared to discuss the matter with : the men. On' the lltli instant the execu- J tive of the Master' Builders" Union; and i representatives" of the men, including the, secretary of the workers' union, and Messrs. Reardon and Cornwell, iuet and' discussed all phases of the dispute. It' was intimated to tiie men that if .they would return to work the employers would be advised at their annual meeting to be held that evening to'consider favourably the request for increased wages. "The decision of that meeting- was conveyed by telephone tS-Mr-.'-Keardon. 1 on the 12th instant,, and Mr. fieardon. states that he gave the information' to one of the delegates of'the union. "It may be stated that the secretary of the union vehemently protested that his union had nothing whatever to do, with the course adopted-'by ithe.men, and the Master Builders therefore" conveyed their decision to Mr. Eeardon .is intermediary. On being informed that the union "expected, a. reply in writing from the employers, the following letted' was forwarded :— "Mr.- Burton, secretary Wellington Union, Trades Hall, Vivian Street, Wellington. Dear Sit , ,—As indicated at the conference recently held with the representatives of your union, the annual meeting'of this uiiionVfully considered the position that bus arisen regarding the employment of • plasterers. An unanimous decision yah arrived at that the first essential steps to_ a settlement of the trouble was the return of the men to their work, this union' under, taking that if work proceeded satisfactorily it would favourably.consider the men's claims and would..make! any increasj granted payable from the time the men recommenced work. It is hoped you will vee your best influence to bring about a settlement on the lines above indicated. -Yours faithfully (Signed) W. A. W, Grenfell, secretary." ..