BROKEN PROMISES ALLEGED

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 148, 18 March 1939, Page 12

BROKEN PROMISES ALLEGED

Australian Tradesmen In New Zealand

“SOME UNABLE TO GET WORK”

Conditions Not Up To Expectations

Complaints that they had been brought to New Zealand under false representations were made yesterday by three building tradesmen, engaged in Australia for employment on the State housing scheme.

They alleged that promises made to them in Australia by Mr. J. Hodgens, M.P., on behalf of the Government of New Zealand, had not been fulfilled after their arrival in the Dominion.

One man, who, with 39 others, arrived at Wellington by the Wanganella on Tuesday, said that lie had since been unable to obtain work. In the meantime he was using up his small reserve of cash and had hot enough left to pay his return fare to Australia. The story lie told was as follows :—

He was a bricklayer with niue years’ experience. In Australia he was in fairly constant employment, with probably about one week off every two months. His earnings ranged from 3/to 3/6 an hour. He noticed in the Australian papers an advertisement stating that buildlug tradesmen were wanted for New Zealand, and that highest wages would be paid for work under excellent conditions.

He saw Mr. Hodgens, who verbally promised him 12 months’ continuous work in New Zealand at more than £6 a week, and assured him that there would be a job waiting for him when he landed and that accommodation would be arranged. Mr. Hodgens asked him if he belonged to the bricklayers’ union, and he replied that he did not—that many bricklayers did not belong to the union in Australia. Mr. Hodgens said nothing more on the subject. Agreement Signed. The New Zealand Trade and Tourist Commissioner advanced him £lO for passage money. 'He signed an agreement to repay the money to the Department of Labour at the rate of 10/- a week and to work on housing contracts under the State housing scheme during the first 12 months after his arrival at rates of pay prescribed in the relative award or industrial agreement. When the ship arrived at Wellington, he and the other men were met by Mr. J. Lewis, of the New Zealand Placement Service, and taken to his office. He was given a card introducing him to a contractor, Mr. D. Dailey. That night he telephoned Mr. Dailey, who said that he had no work to offer. The next day he returned to the placement office and was given another card of introduction. He saw the contractor mentioned and was again told that there was “nothing doing.” The following day he had the same experience.

He had not been to see the secretary of the bricklayers’ union because he regarded himself as under contract to the New Zealand Government. The agreement that he had signed stipulated that he must work on housing contracts for 12 months, and Mr. Lewis told him that he must not work for anyone else.

On his arrival, the placement office sent him to several places to get accommodation, but the cheapest offering was £2/12/6 a week. This he considered too dear. “I want to get back to Australia the quickest way I can, and I want to warn other Australians against coming over here,” the man concluded. Carpenters’ Story. Two carpenters told the following story:— They had 10 years’ and 21 years’ experience respectively in their trade, and held references from their previous employers. In Sydney they were in permanent employment, receiving 2/10 18-22 an hour for 44 hours a week, with overtime bringing _their weekly earnings up to between £7 and £B. They were members of the carpenters’ union in Australia. Mr. Hodgens told them that in New Zealand they could get the same money as they were earning in Australia, and, in addition, as much overtime as they wanted. All they had to do was to “put their tools on the ship and come across,” and when they arrived they would be “met, sent to a job and fixed up for accommodation.”

When they arrived one of them was sent to see Mr. Dailey, who said that his rate was 2/Oif au hour for a week of 40 hours, with no overtime. This the man refused. "If I had been told that 1 could earn only 2/9} au hour for a 40-hour week, with no overtime. 1 should never have left Australia,” he said. "The trouble is that contractors on the housing scheme in the Hutt Valley can’t afford to pay overtime, because the price has been cut so low by the Government.”

The other man was sent to see a contractor named Grey, who said that he did not want any labour at present, but might do so in about two weeks’ time. t Both men returned to the placement office. They were told that if they were not satisfied they should write out a statement, which would be forwarded to the proper quarter. They did not do this. “Would Find Own Jobs.” They told Mr. Lewis that if they were released from their agreement they would find their own jobs. He replied that they had to work on Government contracts for 12 mouths. Both men added that they had since been offered private jobs, with satisfactory pay and conditions. They intended to take them, having had legal advice that they were entitled to do so. They endorsed the complaint of the third man about lack of accommodation. All three men stated that they knew of other Australian tradesmen whose experience had been similar to their own. Thy emphasized that they had no complaint to make against Mr. Lewis or the placement officers, who had done their best for them. They considered, however, that they had beeu misled before they left Australia.