TROUBLE WITH THE PLUMBERS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 123, 18 February 1919, Page 6

TROUBLE WITH THE PLUMBERS

PROTEST TO EMPLOYERS DEMAND FOR A CONFERENCE Trouble has developed in the plumbing trade- owing, it ia stated, to the attitude or~ the employers •in refusing to meet the union delegates in conference, lhus, states the union secretary (Mr. Croskery), has developed feelings of dissatisfaction which culminated yesterday ui » stopwork meeting. In a statement subsequently to a Dominion reporter, Mr. Croskery said that the meeting was the largest 'anti most representative in the experience of the Wellington trade, lhe attitude of the employers was fully discussed, and the foftovin; motion curried unanimously: "That rliia meeting protest." against the arbitrary methods adopted by the employers in dealing with the union's requests for conferences, and desires to point out that such methods will not help to foster any better understanding between the employers and the union, but will.tend to force members rn take more drastic methods to im-prove-their conditions." There is, =ulded Mr. Croskey, fionsulerable dissatisfaction at the fact that it is necessary for member* to work overtime to earn a living wage, and luo uiestmg further decided: , "That in future, members refrain from working overtime in order Iff earn a living wage, as a protest against the system wMcli compels such a condition to' prevail, • until euch time as the employers decide to mtet the representatives of life union, when tho whole en-se can JtSussed." It was decided to forward the above resolution to the employers, aud hold a further meeting at a later date.

~THJ3 OTHER SIDE OF THE CASE. 'Die action taken by the men was discussed at a general meeting of the Wellington Master Plumbers' Uniun last night. The meeting had not been called specially for this purpose. The secretary of the Master. Plumbers' Union subsequently made the following statement to a Dominion reporter:— "Opportunity was taken at a general meeting of members of the Wellington Master Plumbers' Industrial Union of Employers to discuss the action of tho journeymen plumbers in holding a stopwork meeting on the question of an increase in the war bonus from 2d. per hour to 4d. per hour over that amount. On January 27 last the journeymen plumbers made application to the Arbitration Court for the above increase, and (he Court will sit at Wellington on Monday next to hear Ihj application. The master plumtieio are surprised at the action ot the men in holding a stop-work meeting whilst the journeymen's application is awaiting decision.

"The Master Plumbers' Association adheres to its principle of allowing matters concerning the journeymen, as affecting wages, to be determined by the Arbitration Court, and lias no further, statement .to make on the action of the ''journeymen. It prefers that the question should b» dealt with when the evidence is presented on Monday next."