UNREST AT MANGAHAO.

Shannon News, 7 February 1922, Page 3

UNREST AT MANGAHAO.

BALLOT TAKEN YESTERDAY. Smouldering dissatisfaction with the new rates of pay, which have been reduced in common with those of other Government workers, broke out in a flame of protest among tlie men employed on the hydro-electric scheme at Mangaliao last Friday, ihe trouble started in the morning, when delegates from the Mangahao section met the Arapeti workers at the tatters’ camp, and a combined stop-work meeting was held. Several .speakers addressed the meeting, and plenty of “plain talk” was indulged in. Ihe upshot of this preliminary assembly was that another combined meeting was held in the afternoon, when a strike ballot was taken. The men of the Mangaone camp, which is the one nearest to Shannon, a Iso' conducted a ballot. The outside labourers, who were formerly receiving 15/ a day, have been reduced to 14/, while many of the men employed on the mining and damming operacions are on contract. A later message stated that the ballot by day labourers resulted in favour of continuing work,.but by a narrow majority. The voting was 69 for accepting, the hew rate, and 64 for striking. Work is therefore continuing for the present in this section of the works. The Mangaliao tunnel is being carried on by contract at a price for the whole tunnel and is not affected. In the Arapeti tunnel, where the basis is a contract price per foot, the rate lias been reduced, and also in the pipe-line tunnel. In both these cases work had stopped on Saturday, in accordance with tlie men’s decision. At a ballot taken yesterday, the tunnellers at Arapeti hank decided to cease work by a large majority. The effect of (he vote taken at the foothills is not yet known, but may alter tlie result. All the dayworkers have decided to continue work.