OTIRA TUNNEL

Hokitika Guardian, 27 July 1920, Page 4

OTIRA TUNNEL

BEALEY MliN’S CLAIMS. DISPUTE UNBJ9TTLED. (“ Lyttelton Times.”) 'Die wages dispute between the workers at the Healey end of the Arthur’s Pass tunnel and the Public Works Department continues. Under the old contract the men received £7 7s per lineal foot of completed tunnel. Now they ask £l2 15s, claiming that they work under practically the same conditions as the Otira moil, who get £ls 12s. At a conference this week, the Department’s representative made an offer of £ll 3s. That offer the men refused to accept, and work at the Canterbury end is now proceeding at day rates. Progress is slow and there are hints that the trouble may develop. In asking for increased rates, the Healey men say that they have conic to a. bad stretch of country, whore it is almost as difficult to make headway as it is at the other end. The ground is wet, the rock softer and moro apt to slip, and the shifts have to carry on in oilskins. The Department’s engineers agree that conditions have changed within the last three or four weeks, but they' contend that the Otira men are going forward in particularly had country, where it is impossible to excavate with heavy timber supports in the top headings. Extra timber means harder work and slower progress. The Department also status that when another eleven chains have been completed on the Otira side, the men employed there must come under new and reduced rates. Therefore it would not be reasonable to place the Healey men on anything approaching the pay provided by a special and limited schedule. There the dispute rests. Mr A. Dinnie was sent down by the authorities in Wellington to inquire, and, if possible, bring about a settlement. He failed to iix up any agreement and the conference ended abr«ptly. INTO WET GROUND.

The men’s view was explained to a “ Lyttelton Times ” reporter yesterday by Mr R. Behan, President of the Tunnel Workers’ Union. “The demands of the Bealey men are absolutely fair,” said Mr Behan. “ They are now out of the dry country and lvave c-oine into the wet ground. The work is practically similar to that which we at the Otira cuff have to do, and, therefore, they should get the same rates of pay, less some allowances., As there is a difference in their favour in the method of concrete lining and in the amount of timber used, the Healey men asked for £2 17s per foot less than we get. Mr Dinnie replied by offering them £4 i)s loss. Ho said, “ You can take it or leave it.” Wo “left’ it, and that was the end of the conference. He never tried to negotiate. Mr Dinnie has been here before and we are not particularly fond of him. To send him here as conciliator was liko waving a red rag to a bull.” “ We are better off with the miserable wages of 14s a man, than we would he under Mr Dinnie’s proposed contract,'’ said Mr W. Annan, one of the Bealey workers and secretary of the union. “We arc in practically the same class of country us the Otira men, but as wo do less timbering and easier concrete work we offered to go on at £2 17s less. Vve cannot consider the Department’s offer of £4 9s less. It is quite unfair. We could not make a living wage at it. Not only have wo struck the wet country, hut because of the narrower heading we have more widening out to do than the Otira men. Also we have to work in a sultrier atmosphere because we.get the smoke of our own shots and the smoke from tho ’shots’ on the Otira- side. The draught comas from west to oast ninety-five days out of a hundred. Draining is a moro difficult job on our side for there is always water sweeping in while the men work. Those filings show that we have just claim to decent rates. Wo admit that good money, from 23s to 25s a day, was made under the old dry schedule contract, hut it took all of it to keep me and my family going. Now we have put in our final price- for the wet country and we are waiting for the Minister to speak. In tlie meantime we are on day rates of 14s a day, while outside laboured's get 15s. The day rate for workers in the tunnel should bo increased by 2s a day.” THE DEPARTMENT’S ATTITUDE. Departmental officials -say that the 'Bealey men are net taking into consideration the difference in the state of the ground. They do not require to be half as careful as the Otira men, who are working in-loose reek. The Bealey men are in good standing ground, hut j the Otira men have to timber the top heading before they advance. The Otira men get £ls 12s a- foot. In the first place, the Bealey men must get 10s a foot less, because they have far shorter trai oiling time. In the second place, says the Department, the Bealey men admit the difference in their favour as regards timbering and concrete is equal to £2 5s a foot. If tho ground were nearly the same, that would mean that the Bealey men should got £l2 17s odd. Forgetting that tho rock is very different in both places, the demand is for £l2 15s. The engineers state that, apart from the timbering, tho general work of excavation is very much harder on the. Otira side. There is a- greater danger ft-om slips, and the men cannot go at it hammer and tongs. Under the dry schedule, the Healey men averaged for the year ended June sth, £1 3s 0d a day, including a war bonus of 2s a day. Biting the past month there was ail allround drop in earning because oF partial day- work rates and loss of time through the cement shortage, though any work carried on at contract rates still averaged over £1 2s a day. Now the Government lias offered an increase even on the old wet schedule, which was £9 3s 2d a foot. If the offer is accepted say tho engineers, the Bealey men will be able to make 30s a day after paying for tools, explosives and carbide.