PETONE BOROUGH AFFAIRS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 225, 17 June 1920, Page 6

PETONE BOROUGH AFFAIRS

' AGREEMENT BEACHED ON GAS- ' WORKERS' DISPUTE.

A'special meeting of the Petone borough Council was held fast evening, the Mayor (Mr. J. W. M'Ewnn) presiding. There were also present: Councillors W. Cox, J. Churchouse, A. Anderson, D. S. Bedingfield, Q. Cook, and E. Tovey. The council was occupied for tho greater portion of the evening with tho gasworks dispute. Mr. L. Glover, president of the Gasworkers' Union, attended, and stated that there were three points upon which the men were dissatisfied, namely: (1) Stokers' 1 wages; (2) men other than stokers to receive twelve days' annual holiday after being in the service over a period • of twcf.ve months; (3) double time for men employed in the emptying and filling of purifiers. Mr. Glover proposed that the wages of stokers be placed oa a basis of 16s. per shift. The men would work better and more gas would be produced. , Mr. Clark stated that the men at the Petone works did more in six hours " than the majority of the other workei-3 accomplished in eight. At a previews meeting of tho council a resolution had been passed pureeing to pay the men at tho rate of 15s. 6d. per shift of cisfnt hours. That p-oposal had been declined by the men. The Mayor said that if a new agreement were to be entered into, the foregoing' resolution would have to be rescinded. Councillor Churchouse moved that tho motion be rescinded. Councillor Cox seconded tho motion, tho voting on v Inch was four to two. As the council was not unanimous in the decision tho motion could not be rescinded. , lL L <p „, Councillor Cox 'proposed that 15s. 6d. lie granted, and that in the event of tho Arbitration Court granting the Wellington gas stokers an increase the council pay its men a bonus of 6d. per day, to become operative from the ;lnto cf the council's award. .jh.it Councillor Churchouse said that it Councillor Cox's motion were- amended to read "that a bonus of Od. bo added, ho would eecond it. Councillor Cox decided to withdraw the contingency, and as his original motion had lapsed for want of a seconder, it had to bo withdrawn. , Councillor Churchouse moved in the direction indicated, and Councillor Cox seconded. Tho motion was ''arricd. The voting was as f dllows—For: Councillors Cox, Churchouse, Anderson, and Bedinsneld. Against: Councillors Tcvey and Cook. . As regards the holidays, tho special request was withdrawn and the triginnl adhoie'd to. Tho total number of holiday's .granted will bo fifteen. For men engaged in the emptying and filling of purifiers tho rnto agreed upon was timo and a half,