Labour Legislation and the H.B. County

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 204, 14 September 1937, Page 6

Labour Legislation and the H.B. County

Sir, — Your Monday's issue containcd several extracts from a recent meeting of that admirable local botly, the Hawke's Bay County Council. Prac.tieally the whole of the meeting was taken up in attacks upon Labour 's legislation, and the award in force covering the county 's employees. It is the puipose of this letter to take up thev defenee of the worhers, and Labour 's - legislation. ' Re Te Mata Job: This job is praetically six miles from Hastings, and includes a climb of over 1200 feet. The award states that transport muSt be prpvided fnr any distance over two miles away from Hastings, or the worker reimbui-sed for cost of same. In addition, a sub-elause provides that where it takej-' over half an hour to travel to the job, all time over tbat half hour shafl be paid for at overtime rates, .ot included in the eight hours.

I.ast December the country repfesenlatives agreed to this. yet. to-day they dcsire to break it. The position, Str, is that the council has no option hnt tc earry out the provisions of Ihe award; otherwise, as a union. we will take steps to see that they do. Last week t.he Arbitrntion Court fixed the standard rate for casual labour at 2/4 per hour, but the award covering County Council employees provides for a, minimum rate of 2/03 plus holidays. Therefore, it is peri'ectly clear that the countv is obtanung labour at a mueh cheaper rate than most other local bodies. Re Sustenance Men and Taxpayers' Money: The reference made in rcspect of men being placed on various sc.liemes recentlv by the Government besides being illogical are eertainlv disgraceful coming from a loc.nl bodv which lias in the past taken fnll advnntage of ihe eeonomie conditions prevailing. Let us first analvse tlm so called taxpayers' money. The great.er pereentnge of the Employment Promotion Fund comos from moneys paid in qnartorlv levies and wages tax on money previouslv enrned by the employed workers of tllis Dominion Therefore, the, greater part of the burden of providing for the unemployed is borne by Ihe workers tliemselves. Tf the farmer is so poor as Mr. Logan makes out he will certainly not have to pay mueh ln tax on wages received. Yet what do -we find? That tlio local bodies are receiving as muclt ®s 100 per cent. of

wages costs of work done by schcme13 men. The beneilts oi' these works goes to the ratepayers o± -the local bodies coneerned, who are in the aiain a minority, of those contributmg to the Einployment Fund. No. Mr. Logan 's squcal is not ou these grouuds; but because the men will not go out into the back-bldcks in order to give the Hawke's Bay County Council the ful] benelit of the seheine witliout paymg any transport ailowance as provided for under ihe award. I remcmber single men getting 10/ a week and keep on the Maori Gully job, and cven a part of this was supplied by tlie Government. Is it possible that Mr. Logan and his culleagues desire a return to these conditions. I notice that Mr. Lassen warned the council to be careful in framing the protcst. There is a disadvantage m being on more than one local body, otherwise ho-oiight have been able to give fuli support to any protest put forward. Mr. Logan challenged the figures given out as unemployed iri tlie Dominion. It appears to me that shorlly there will be nothing, left for the County Council to dispute in Labour 's legislation, as they have given it sueli n good go during the past twelvu months. Mr_ Logan furtlier stated: "... we will have to fall into line with some of the rotten legislation that has gone througli, but it is going to make it awkward for us to have to pay our men fortnightly. "

The ' ' rotten ' ' legislation referred to was an agreement made by the Counties' Association with the Federation 5f Geyeral Labourers and the local labourers' union in December last when the county eouneils wefe brought under an award. Of course it miglit be taken tbat the Hawke's Bay County Council has no desire to honour this agreement seeing that this and other clauses have not been given effeet to during the past nine months. No Sir. It appears to me that the soorier the • rural local bodies realise that, Labour 's legislation has come to stay, and co-operate in putting same into effect, as is dono- by the urban local bodies tlie sooner the friction will cease. In conelusion, I thank you for allowing mo tho opportunity of placing tlio workers' viewpoint before tlie public on the issues raised by Ihe Hawke's Bay Countv Council. — \ ours, etc., " J1AROLT) KAY, Secretary H.B. Builders aml Generul Labourers' Union. Sept. 1-1/37.