RELIEF WORKERS

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 134, 3 December 1929, Page 13

RELIEF WORKERS

AT EAILWAT CAMPS

PERMANENCY NOT POSSIBLE

A definite statement that it was impossible to employ permanently all the men employed on railway construction work was made by the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. E. A. Ransom) to-day, in reply to a deputation representing the New Zealand Workers' Union. If the- men were dissatisfied to work as relief workers they would have to bo prepared to accept dismissal.

Mr. A. Cook, the secretary of the union, said the relief workers in the railway camps were anxious to know whether they were to enjoy the privileges eajoyed by other workers in the matter o,£ holidays and so on. He liad received a telegram from Mr. Coates in which it was stated that the Minister had stated that railway workers would not be regarded as relief workers. The Minister said Mr. Coates had taken the matter up with him on the floor of the House, and his reply was in "Hansard." The whole point was whether the union desired to see the men retained permanently, or to sec them dismissed. That was the alternative. "If you force our hands," said the Minister, "the onus must be on you if the men are discharged. Are you willing to accept that onus? We can't take all these men on permanently, because in the first place we haven't got the accommodation." Mr. Cook: "We understand the difficulty about the accommodation. What \vo are asking is that the men should enjoy the wages, privileges, and conditions specified in the agreement until you are in a position to build the accommodation." The men wanted to know if they were going to get their holidays or not. Never previously had railway construction works been rogarded as relief works. Mr. Ransom: "Do you say the- men should bo dismissed if we can't put them on as standard workers?" Mr. Cook: "Bather than sco the railway construction works as relief works wo would prefer to see them, put off." Mr. Eansom: "You are dodging the question. Will you take the responsibility if the men are put off?" Mr. Cook: "We must take it, but it's rather beside the point to talk about putting the men off. They would have to be found work elsewhere."

Mr. Ransom said there had been no change of policy, and the Government did not de3ire to turn railway construction work into relief work.

Mr. W. Wallaoo said a circular had been sent out by the Public Works Department giving a general instruction that men employed after Ist October last were to be classed as relief men. Mr. Bansom:"I would Hko to see that circular. I did not' send it out." Mr. Wallace: "I am only talking about what I have heard from your officials. I think it is pretty right." Mr. Ransom: "I don't think so." Mr. Wallace said if men were to be employed on standard jobs as relief workers it was going to damage the standards that had beeii created. Ho would like to see standard jobs preserved as such in the interests of everybody concerned. There was a certain stigma attached to the classification of relief workers. Mr. Bansoin: "I deny that any instructions have gone out that any standard works should be brought down to the standard of relief works. Kailway works are not going to be made relief works. It was only the promise of the Government to find work for everybody that led it to place relief workers in the railway camps. If it is found possible to retain the men they will be made standard employees, but if it is not. they will have to be found work elsewhere or else discharged." Mr. Cook: "But how long is it going to take you to decide?"

Mr. Eansom: "I am not going to be tied down to any time. It is a question of finance. It will be impossible to retain all theso men as standard workers. Apparently you are more concerned about holidays and so on than about finding the men work. It seems to be that once a man is placed on relief work he sets about to make it a standard job and stick -there." Mr. Wallace: "Well, wo don't think it is right." Mr. Eansom: "Well, we can soon romedy it." Mr. Wallace: "By putting them on standard works?" Mr. Eansom: "No, by Jetting them go. We can't put them all on permanently. '' Before the deputation withdrew, Mr. Eausom gave an assurance that if it were possible to erect recreation halls in the Tawa Flat camps for £400 or thereabouts he would see that it was done. _^ I