BUILDERS’ LABOURERS.

Evening Star, Issue 22447, 18 September 1936, Page 13

BUILDERS’ LABOURERS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I am delighted that we have in our midst one builder’s labourer who has the courage and the energy to undertake the task of seeking information as to why builders’ labourers are not entitled to receive some consideration in regard to the new industrial condititms introduced by the Government. Whilst you are entitled to an expression of thanks for the information supplied in your footnote, I do believe that your correspondent is entitled to a little further information, also some commentation upon the question asked, which undoubtedly is closely related to the whole question. During the time it was decided to restore prosperity to this Dominion by wage reductions the builders of Otago, in co-operation with the late Government launched out and made a request that builders’ labourers should accept Is 3d an hour. This was refused, and after two Conciliation Council meetings had been held the employers agreed to offer Is 6d an hour, and consequently this offer was also refused. As a result the builders’ labourers were compelled to earn their living under any kind of conditions that the employers would feel inclined to offer without any award or agreement. While the employers were eager and anxious to reduce the builders’ labourers’ wages at this period, it seems rather deplorable that they stubbornly refuse to give any consideration whatsoever towards ’ restoring the builders’ labourers’ wages until they are compelled by law to move in that direction. Carpenters, bricklayers, plasterers. and all other tradesmen have had their wages readjusted in conformity with the reduction of the working hours, whilst builders’ labourers receive no consideration in this direction. If the Government had not made any provision to restore the 1931 rate of wages in the Finance Act a large number of employers would still continue to pay their starvation wages. However, I do wish to state that all employers do not belong to this category, for during last week, when a few employers were inquiring the rate of wages they were called upon to pay builders’ labourers, one in particular, when I informed him that he was not compelled to pay more than Is lOd an hour, replied that in his opinion it was a disgrace that employees should receive less than the rate of pay earned upon relief work. The Government has now stipulated that relief workers and men employed upon subsidised work shall not receive less than the award rates of pay, which means that all relief workers and subsidised workers engaged by local bodies shall not receive less than 2s 3d an hour. There is one important point omitted in your footnote with reference to wage adjustment. The Government has made provision that where builders and contractors are compelled to meet an extra financial liability as a result of wage readjustment they have the legal rights of obtaining readjustments of their contract prices, but the attitude displayed by the majority of these employers gives a true indication of the existing struggle between employer and employee. The Conciliation Council will meet in Dunedin on Monday, October 5, to hear the builders and contractors’ labourers’ dispute.—l am, etc., R. Harrison. Trades Hall, Dunedin. September 16.