Strike at the Union Sash & DOOR COMPANY’S FACTORY.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1032, 4 February 1882, Page 3

Strike at the Union Sash & DOOR COMPANY’S FACTORY.

On the 31st January groups of artisans might be seen at the various street corners, engaged in animated discussion, and it soon transpired that they were employes of the Union Sash and Door Company, at their manufactory, Mechanics’ Bay, on strike. The circumstances, so far as they have transpired, appear to be that the extensive orders recently received by the Company, necessitate a lengthening of the hours of labor, in order to their fulfilment. The men belonging to the carpenters’ department got notice to work ten hours per diem, receiving “ a time ” as payment for the extra ■work. A deputation of delegates met the manager (Mr Murdoch) and demanded “ a time and a quarter.” This the manager refused to accede to, and a number of the hands went on strike—their numbers are variously given at 100 to 170. Mr Murdoch states that the terms of payment for the extra time is in accordance with local trade usages, and that he will abide by them. The men, on the other hand, declare that they were asked to work daily till 8 o’clock at night for the ordinary rate of day pay, and that they declined to do so unless time and a quarter were given for the extra hours of labour. Some fifteen minutes were to be allowed for refreshments in the evening, but as a number of the men have little freehold cottages in the suburbs, where they reside, the interval could be of no practical use to them, and under the new proposal some of them would not be able to reach their homes till 9 o’clock at night for tea ; returning to work next morning at halfpast 7 o’clock. They also state that while their wages were uniformly reduced when the timber trade was dull during the winter, no general resumption of the old scale has taken place on its revival, while in the recent material rise in the price of timber they have not received the slightest benefit. These are the statements of the men, and the whole facta between the two parties will probably

be brought out, as the former are desirous of laying tneir grievances before the directors of tho company, in whatever manner may be deemed most desirable. It is a matter for regret that such a strike .should have taken place. Auckland has been fortunately free from such affairs, which in the long run injure both employers and employed, whose true interests lie in interdependence upon each other. By advertisemont elsewhere the company solicits the forbearance of its customers in the present emergency, until it can replace the men who have seceded from its employ. The latter, on the other hand, b\ similar notification, request artizans in theii several departments of labor to abstain from accepting the proffers of employment made by the company. —Auckland Herald.