THE POWER-HOUSE WORKERS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 261, 31 July 1919, Page 8

THE POWER-HOUSE WORKERS

THE MEN'S SIDE OF THE STORY

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—l read with great interest, in your issue of Saturday, July 26, the discussion on t|ie Conciliation Commissioner's leltor to the Wellington City Council in reference to the payment of double rates to the men employed in tho tramway and electric power stations during the pence holidays. The facts in connection with the negotiations 'by which the men agreed to work during the peaco holidays are accurately stated in tho published letter of tho Commissioner; therefore I do not intend to occupy your space to deal with that matter. further, but as the City Council is so fearfully anxious to put 1 its side of the caso, I think that it is only fair to tho power-houso workers and the citizens of Wellington that the men's side should bo placed before tho public also. These workers have been condemned for biking sectional action, but as a matter of tact they only took the same action as they have taken for years paJt. The men employed in tho power-stations are organised in a union, and have entered into an industrial agreement with tho City Council, independent of any other section of tho council's employees. They jjave negotiated with the City Council in connection with their conditions of employment, on their own behalf, for at least six Tears, and were never previously accused of taking sectional action. In snort, the men acted in tho only way possible, viz., through their union. Where, 1 then, is the necessity for tho camouflage about sectional action? The members of tho power-house discussed tho question of <xtra payment for working during tho peace celebration holidays. They made application, in tho usual way, tor double rates for each of tho days worked) and an additional three days added to their annual holidays. In doing this they only followed an established precedent, for during tho armistice holidays they were paid double rate, .and were allowed two additional dnys on to their annual holidays, This agreement was made with Mr. Morton, City Engineer, without any fuss whatever, and tho council has never expressed any disapproval. To tho men's surprise, the.app'lication for doublo rates'was turned down, and as a result several conferences took place between the officers of tho v<werhouses staffs and tho representatives of tho union. As tho officers wore not empowered to grant the demands of the men, the matter was referred to the City Council, and instead of that body going into the case fully, and inquiring whether there was any precedent for making these demands, they accepted an ex parto statement from tho Mayor, and then left the dispute in his hands.

A conference was then arranged between the Mayor and tho representatives of the union, and on this occasion tho men were informed by His Worship that ho was under the impression he had settled the peace holiday rates for all the tramway employees when ho made the agreemont with the Tramways Union. This statement discloses the fact that tho Mayor is not acquainted with, the different industrial agreements under which the employees of tho City Council are working. A second conference was arranged, and the Mayor on this occasion throw discretion to tho winds by telling tho men that tho council would not recede one inch; and he threatened that unless the power-house workers accepted tho offer of the corporation they would have to get out ot tho power-stations for good. The tactless attitudo adopted by tho Mayor only accentuated tho trouble, and may I hero ask, is it not generally considered below tho office and dignity of a Mayor _to personallv dismiss or threaten to dismiss any of tho City Council staff? This part the Mayor played, whether it is dignified or otherwise I .will leave it to your readers to decide, 'lho men replied to tho Mayor's threat.by immediately leaving the room—in Other words, they refused to Jiave a personal squabble with Wellington's leading citizen. At tlie eleventh hour the Conciliation Commissioner took the dispute in hand. He arranged to meet tho men, and pointed out the inconvenience a stoppage of the tramwav service would cause to the. public, especially ths women and children. Ho also stated that thero was then no timo for further negotiations with the City Council until after the holidays, and that if the men worked during the peace celebrations lie would recommend that the council concede what they asked for; and he further expressed the opinion that in consideration of tho men agreeing to run the tramway service the request for double pay would bo conceded. The power-houses workers agreed to the Conciliation Commissioner's proposal, and worked through the peace holidays.' Where, then, is the "befogging" that the Mayor talks about? AVhero is the necessity for this high dudgeon and pettifogging dignity that the Mayor and his supporters in the council are adopting? Why this air of hurt dignity about the Commissioner's interference whon that gentleman acted only in the best interests of the public? Is it because the Commissioner succeeded by his tact in induciiiK the men to run the tramway service during the peace holidays when tlie tactless attitude of the Mayor and some of the councillors had the opposite effect? Whatever may be tho motive, it is safo to say that it is not dignity, for if it is a question nf dignity and' service, that claim belongs to the men alone: and it is fafe to assumo that, if the iiower-house workers were as indifferent to the welfare of tho citizens as some niembers of the City Council have been in connection with this matter,there would have been no tramway service during the peace holidays. The public ai'o fortunate in having men employed at the power-houses who recognise their responsibilities to the citizens. I cannot, however, say that the citizens of Wellington have been fortunate in. their selection of tho majority of councillors to run the business of tho city.

With reference to l"he offer x v ade by the City Council the Mayor stated it was time-and-a-half rate. This statement k contrary to fact. The men were offered and indeed paid time and a half, less the war bonus, -which means that they .were paid 30 per cent, less than actual time and a half wages. Probably the foregoing is 6ome of tho brilliant "City Eathorship" economy exhibited in our city. The Press reports the Mayor as stating that if tho council was consistent it would havo to pay the double rates to all tramwaymen if it granted them to the power-houso men. Surely the Mayor must have known that he had made a special agreement with the traffic department of tho tramways on this question and that agreement must of necessity stand. Tho Powor-houso Employees' .Union had nothing to do with that agroement. They were not included, therefore they made application on their own account, and their request for double rates was not conceded. It is-not fair then, I submit, for the Mayor to side-track the issue by stating that if tho demands of tho men wore conceded it would cost tho ratepayers ,£3OO. I do not wish to accuso tho Mayor or his siinporters of consistency, but I would ask, did the council act consistently and pay double rates to all tho tramway employees for their armistice holidays? I would, indeed, bo surprised to learn that their consistency overcame thcif conservatism on that occasion. How often have the workers been told that if they trusted their employers that trust would be respected? Has the City Council respected Hie trust of its workers? Should a similar circumstance occur again, can the men be expected to act in tho same' amicable spirit? The men can act only in accordance with tho treatment they received; and unless tho users of the cars and the public generally join issues witli the four Labour councillors anil demand justice for these lnon who render such valuable service to tho community, the mon will be compelled in future to employ similar methods to these adopted by the Mayor and his supporters. Tho Mayor also made a point that the men had taken tlireo days' pay instead of tho three holidays. They were, he said, trying to make money out of peace. As a matter of fact, the mon asked for tho three days' pay because they were of the opinion that the threat

of the Mayor to dismiss thorn might bo curried out (which would no doubt cause industrial trouble), and it is very probable il. Hint happened that thoso threo days would not bo paid for. Tho power-House men work on all holidays, and as a rule on Sundays throughout tho year; they also have'to work night shift in their turn; and for tho Mayor to say that, these men did not require tho peace holidays is, to say tho least, contrary to logic. The' attitude of the City Council towards tho letter from the Conciliation Commissioner may be in keeping with tho dignity of that body, but it is not common souse. ...However, tho powerhouse workers are hopeful that tho citizens of Wellington will recognise tho justice of their claim for double rates for work done during the peace holidays. They recognised the inconvenience a stoppage of the tramway service would be to the public, and on the suggestion of tho Conciliation Commissioner they kept the service going for the benefit of_ tho people. Tho men's only means of obtaining their claims now is to appeal to tho citizens of Wellington (who, after all, nro their real employers) for justice, —I am, etc., JAR. ROBERTS. 80 Manners Street, July 2% 1919.