PETONE GASWORKS TROUBLE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 234, 28 June 1921, Page 8

PETONE GASWORKS TROUBLE

ARBITRATION COURT CONDITIONS THE DISMISSED DRIVERS At last night’s meeting of the Pelone Borough Council the Mayor (.Mr. J. W. M/Ewau) moved: "Timt with a view to entering into an industrial agreement to be made in accordame with the provisions of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1908, and its amendments, this council agrees to submit its ease to the arbitrament, of the Conciliation Commissioner (Mr. Newton), Mr. J. Kennedy (of the Wellington Gas Company), and a representative to be selected by the ■ members of the Petone branch of (the Wellington Gasworks Union, provided that the members of the said branch union aro agreeable to this course being adopted with a view to a settlement of the existing difficulty as between the Gas Workers’ Union and the council. Further, in the event of a disagreement between the commissioners referred to, the decision of the Minister of Ixibour on appeal shall be accepted as final. Any agreement arrived at as a result of the decision of the commissioners to bo filed for submission to the Judge of the Arbitration Court for his decision thereon." Councillor J. L. Churchouso seconded the motion. After discussion the motion was lost, the mover and seconder only voting for it- .. Councillor W. Hay moved that action bo taken to bring the present employees at the gasworks under tho conditions of tho Arbitration Court, so tha.t in the event of a dispute the Arbitration Court could give a decision. Tho motion was ’carried, the- Mayor and Councillor Churchouse dissenting. Dismissed Drivers Appeal to Council. Tho appeal of the four drivers, whoso services were dispensed with on Thursday last owing to their refusal to transport coal from the Petone railway station to tho municipal gasworks, was heard, b} the council. Mr Parlane, representing the executive of the Drivers’ Union, submitted that under the circumstances it was hardly reasonable to ask the men to cart tho coal. It was the men’s desire to adopt a neutral attitude in regard te the dispute, and immediately they were asked to transport coal to the gas-works-placed in the firing line, so to speak-they felt it their duty to refuse. Cartin'* coal to the works was not thenparticular duty. He asked f° r L’® statement of the men, and that they be permitted to carry out the duties for which they had been engaged. Councillor R. 11. -Tones: I would like to ask tho engineer how long the mon have been carting coal? The borough engineer (Mr. E. Cowie) said that it had been the custom for el Co°unc'inor D. S. Bedingfield asked Whether the men,carted the major portion of the coal. Mr. Cowje said that at one time, before the gasworks manager had drays of his own, the men had done all the cartMr Parlane said he understood that for two months at a stretch the men had not been reouested to cart coal. He asked tho council to respect the feelings of the men. Councillor Anderson: You don t take anv official stand? Air. Parlane: I consider the men acted correctly. Had the men carted the coal, said Councillor Anderson, they would have assisted a borough that was mainly composed of al working community. They would have helped the borough to defeat the stokers, was tho substance of Mr. Parlane’e rejoinder. Councillor Anderson: What do you suggest? Do you suggest that we give in ’ You would not suggest that in dispensing with their services we made a breach of agreement with the union. Mr. Parlana admitted that it was no breach. , , , . Councillor Jones: You should have gone to tho men who caused tho trouble, not the council.

Councillor Anderson moved that the men retire and meet the Works Committee. Councillor Jones seconded the motion. which was carried. After a conference with the union delegates the' Works Committee reported that tho following decision Itad been arrived at:—“That tho Works Committee recommend to the council that with the exception of one man all the men be reinstated; that the matter in dispute be referred to the Conciliation Commissioner, and that the parties abide by his ruling; pending that decision the men not to lie asked to cart coal; two delegates to be appointed by each, side to meet tho Conciliation C ommissionei. Councillors G. Cook and A. Anderson were appointed to represent tho council. The following resolution lias been carried by the I’otono branch of the Amalgamated Engineers’ Union now in sesK i on "That this meeting strongly urges the Petone 1 Borough Council to consider their decision not to agree to accept tho spirit and intention of such Labour legislation as is at present on the Statute Book, and to put the whole question in dispute to a conference of both sides, presided oven by the Conciliation Commissioner or the Minister of Labour.’’