OBJECTION TO CAMPS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 100, 22 January 1935, Page 2

OBJECTION TO CAMPS

Southland Relief Workers COMPLAINT AND REPLY Dissatisfaction with the Unemployment Board’s treatment of workless men in Southland in its insistence that they go to a Public Works camp at Ohai, is expressed by the secretary of the National Union of Unemployed Workers, Mr. McLaughlin, who writes as follows: — ! “A matter of grave moment, particularly to unemployed married men, and to ' citizens generally, is the Unemployment • Board’s determination to compel these • men, in part, to accept Public AVorks Department camp work at what is described t as ‘standard wages’ (which are 10/- a day, less time lost through wet weather, etc.). The board has commenced to enforce this policy at Ohai Southland, where some 30 members of the Southland ’ provincial branches of the National Union of Unemployed have been deprived of work near their homes and ordered to proceed to a Public Works Department camp job, 40 miles distant. These men have refused to be compelled, on the following grounds:— “(1) In conformity with their union’s . policy, thej’ refuse to recognise or ■ admit the right of any Government, apart from grave national emergency, to draft men away from their families. “(2) They refuse to attempt to maintain 1 two homes .on a wage which cannot secure the decent maintenance of one. “(3) Under no circumstances do they agree to tlio Unemployment Board being permitted to exercise the forw of compulsion in furtherance of any of its schemes of relief work. “As the plight of the Ohai families is desperate, and as the board some weeks ago published its intention of enforcing this compulsory policy generally. , the executive of the National Union of Unemployed has been endeavouring by negotiation with the Government and the Unemployment Board to secure the abandonment of this policy. Mr. W. Bromley (deputy chairman of the board), in discussing the issues involved with executive officials of the union, stated the board’s policy as follows: —‘The Public Works Department has vacancies for men at standard rates of pay, and if unemployed men refuse to accept this work they will he debarred from further relief.' “When the impossibility of maintaining two homes on these ‘standard’ rates was pointed out to him. he disclaimed that the board was responsible for fixation of wage rates. ‘Cabinet,’ he said, ‘is responsible for that.’ “When nsked if there was any difference in the quality or value of married and unmarried men’s labour, he agreed there was none. When immediately requested, then, to offer this camp work to single men at the same, rate and conditions as at present being offered to married men he as quickly declined, stating that if the Public Works Department decided' to accept single men for the work the board would reduce its subsidy on wages to the lower level compatible with the lower single men’s rate “This suggests that the board can and does fix wage rates; and that in insisting upon married men accepting this camp work against their will and good sense of family duty it is endeavouring to establish the evil principle of compulsion in the relationship of employer to employee. “Finally, the development of work which the Public Works Department has been instructed to carry out at its various camp sites is directly beneficial to the property owners at or near the localities to be improved, and they are quite capable of bearing a portion of the cost, which would ensure a family living wage payment to the essential labourer. If this cannot be enforced by the Government, then the work should not be done.” When the foregoing letter was referred to him yesterday Mr. Bromley said that what was pointed out to Mr. McLaughlin by him at the interview mentioned was that the board’s first responsibility was set out in the legislation under xvhich unemployment relief was administered, namely to put the unemployed men iu touch with wages nt standard rates, wherever these could bo found. If it could not do that it called upon local authorities and others to find work at relief rates, or pay sustenance. In this case the Public Works Department was embarking on road development within 40 miles of Ohai. and the unemployed workers in question had been advised that work was offering there. If the men did not avail themselves of the vacancies the ( bonrd would not be justified in starting special relief works nt Ohai to employ men who wore wanted by the Public Works Department. Mr. Bromley stated that he also pointed out that the board had not fixed tin’ rates of pay. and. the ( rates being paid on the job at Ohai (ineidentally 10/6 a day) were the same as ( were operating in the case of the 10.000 ( men working under the Public Works Department nt the present time. f