TEMPORARY AGREEMENT

Evening Star, Issue 22456, 29 September 1936, Page 3

TEMPORARY AGREEMENT

FLAXMILL WORKERS RESUME WOULDN’T WAIT FOR BASIC WAGE [Peb United PitEss Association.] PALMERSTON N., September 28. As the result of a conference to-day between the flaxmill owners, workers’ representatives, and tbg Minister of Labour (Mr Armstrong), and the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Parry), a decision was reached for the men to return to-morrow on an agreement that will be operative for a month. Daring that time the Government will make an investigation into the whole flax industry. Mr Armstrong pointed out that through a mistake flax workers were not included among those who, under the recent legislation, had their wages restored. The Government would have amended the position, but had not done so, as the basic wage was shortly to be declared. It seemed, however, that the flax workers had tired of waiting, and had struck. The average earnings of the men engaged in the industry were £2 a week, and if the industry could not give something better than that, it was questionable whether it was worth while going any further. The Government was already subsidising the industry to the extent of £4 a ton. The employers submitted that they were unable to pay more, to which Mr Armstrong replied: “We have been listening to that argument from the employers since boyhood. In many industries it has always been ruin to concede what the workers asked for. You would have paid the men had the flax industry been included with the others under the recent legislation, and you would have managed somehow. I think the whole industry wants reorganising and putting on an entirely different basis. Maybe it is not an industry that should be left to private enterprise.” He thought the men would not go back for a penny less than what they asked for. Mr Parry pointed out that it the owners wauted a higher subsidy it must bo one that both sides would recognise as worth while to keep, the industry going, but if it was going to reach a point where it would be too high, the Government would employ the men at something else.