Trades and the Workers

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 174, 13 October 1927, Page 11

Trades and the Workers

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BOXWOOD

UNION MEETINGS DUE

Dairy Employees .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ~ ... .. .. .. .. To-day. Boilermakers To-night. Curriers Oct. 14. Furniture Trades * Oct. 17. Hairdressers •• Oct. 17: Amalgamated Engineers •• .. .. .. ... .. .. Oct. 18. Plasterers •• .... ... .. ... v«. ** . - Carpenters Oct. 19. Plumbers’ (Educational) .. Oct. 19.

Mr. J. Purtell was called hurriedly to Wellington early this week. The annual meeting of the Hairdressers’ Union will take place next month.

Conciliation business is very dull just now. The next council is on the plumbers* and gasfitters’ dispute, which will take place on October 19 next.

The recent awards made to cover motor mechanics, general engineers and sheet-metal workers in Taranaki came into force on October 10—Monday last.

Mr. H. Campbell, secretary of the Painters’ Union, has gone on a hurried trip to Wellington in response to a request of a meeting of union representatives on Monday night, at which it was decided to make the strongest protest possible against the Apprentices Act Amendment Bill. The Labour BSllm Committee will be taking evidence on the Bill to-day.

Conferences Arranged.—The daylight baking legislation has been disposed of for the present session of the House. After the Labour Bills Committee had taken evidence it was agreed between the parties that employers and employees should each confer with the Minister of Labour during the recess and that later there should be a joint Conference of all parties. • • * Wi remen*# Exams.—The Wiremen’s Registration Act is preparing to function again. On October 28 and 29 an examination under the Act will be held if sufficient entries are received. About the latter proviso there is usually not much doubt. Another heavy accretion to the ranks of registered wiremen will result. No one is eligible for registration until he is 19 or has had three years’ experience.

®*atlng Up the Bakers. —Mr. E. J. vyatsori, secretary of the Bakers’ X nion, returned from Wellington, Jvhere he had been appearing before the Labour Bills <Sommittee, and set off on Monday for the annual beating up of the country districts. He has gone bouth to meet unionists in the Thames, Mercer and Waikato districts. The

secretary of the union makes two tours a year, North and South, and his visits are always productive of good effects for all sides. Engineers* Annual Meeting.—The Auckland Amalgamated Engineers’ Union holds its annual meeting on October 18. A big meeting is expected. Though the union has given about 300 clearances as a result of the depression, membership stands about the same as last year, owing to numerous arrivals from England and from Sydney. The subject of conciliation and arbitration will get a thorough airing at the meeting.

Hot on the trail of Mr. Justice Frazer's explanation of recent wage increases as being the application of the 3 925 basic wage increase to awards as they have expired comes the plumbers’ and gas-fitters’ dispute, which will be the subject of a conciliation council soon.

This award is undergoing its first review since the basic wage pronouncement, and the employees are now entitled to the extra wage. The employers held a meeting on Monday to consider the dispute. The Shop Assistants’ Charity Club to the good work of which attention was drawn in this column recently, has taken another liability in the Airedale Street Mission. Last evening a meeting was held and it was decided to give £ls to each of the club’s four special charities. The club has also let a contract for ten wireless sets for installation in the various city orphanages. The outlay for this purpose has been very considerable, and as the usual Christmas toys and plajrthings have to be secured the club is putting its best foot forward in its dances, to encourage sympathisers and collect funds.

The Gasworkers* Agreement— The Gasworks Emploj'ees’ agreement expires on October 28. The union is registered under the Labour Disputes Investigation Act, and so its agreement is one of those rare products of long conferences. Procedure under the Act is rather involved. The initial conference often is a wrangle over the appointment of a chairman, and the second act is the calling in of

the Minister of Labour, who appoints a chairman and constitutes a dispute committee. Mr. E. G. Cutten, S.M., is usually appointed, and on last occasion when a new gasworks agreement was being arranged the parties sat for 12 days altogether. That Is one of the advantages of a Labour Disputes Investigation Committee’s deliberations. They are free and easy discussions, with no time limit or formalities. Parties simply meet round the table and talk it out. It is usually the fate of disputes in the Arbitration Court to be slammed through in perhaps two hours or less. The evidence formally takem in court is altogether out of the disputants’ nands as soon as the Judgei has risen. Under the Labour Disputes Investigation Act the finalising of an agreement is never out of disputants’ control. It is an agreement, not an award. When the discussion ha.s reached an appropriate stage the chairman of a committee may be given a casting vote, or such may be withheld. Though procedure may seem rather involved it has some obvious advantages, one of the most valuable being that in the discussion one never loses the chance of bringing up a fresh point.

Those Apprentices.—Rather short notice was given by the clerk of the Labour Bills Committee’s willingness to hear representations on the amending Bill, which will have the effect of washing out the district quota of’ apprentices. Auckland unions as a result had rather to over-hurry their plans. It is hoped that no mischance will arise as a result of the hustle, but such a result would not be surprising and it would be regrettable if such a disastrous Bill was hurried through the House on the instigation of the employers. After all, the capitalists are only one side of industry, and both the worker and the general publis has a right to some consideration. The tone of the meeting held on Monday evening showed how deep is the distrust of employers and their tinkering with the Apprenticeship Act. Though the prese;nt. system was by no means considered perfectly satisfactory, the abolition of the district quota was feared as the torpedo that would end the system and ruin the workers* share in the control of working conditions and their share in the trusteeship of their craft. It was pointed out to the meeting by Mr. Dunlop, of the stonemasons, that the need for more apprentices was diminishing. At one time the Museum job would have provided work for 40 masons, but there were only eight employed there. Machine methods were decreasing the need for more apprentices in the stonemason’s craft and probably that applies generally to many other trades. Mr. J. Kelly struck one of the most important notes in the wrangle when he said at Monday’s meeting that the glut of apprentices would produce jerry labour, for which the people would pay in the long rum. It is rather a pity that more of the guild spirit is not infused through craft unions. In that and in the co-

operation of a public appreciating things of quality lies the hope of craftsmanship against mass production.

GENERAL LABOURERS’ CONFERENCE GOVERNMENT CENSURED RESOLUTIONS PASSED Summing up the main questions in its conference, the National Federation of General Labourers passed strong resolutions on the subject of unemployment, arbitration and immigration. The text of the resolutions were:Unemployment.— That this conference, representing the general labourers of this Dominion, deplore the prolonged agony the workers are compelled to bear as the result of unemployment. We also dethe Government’s effort called “relief, and pledge ourselves to try by every means possible to. remote this economic curse which our unfortunate members are compelled 'to bear. Arbitration.— We strongly condemn the p i oposal of the Government as indicted by the Press of the Dominion in proposing to alter the constitution of the court by placing on the bench three magistrates. In our opinion a court so constituted would not have the confidence of the workers, as neither the workers nor the employers would have aiy say m the selection of the members dlrec L representative thereon whom they could approach as at present. Both employees, employers and the general public are now represented. These gentlemen, with their legal training and experience, would be inclined to give more importance to the legal aspects of the questions submitted to them than to the social and industrial aspects. In our opinion this would not be conducive to industrial peace, as the dec] s ion of these would not be so accepta t° either employers or workers as decisions of the present court. While the present T.C. and A. Act provides the means of settling industrial disputes, confidence in the court is an Important factor in. maintaining that industrial peace, and we trust that the Government will not interfere with the Act in the direction indicated. Imm'gration. That the conference Tm condemns the Government for still allowing immigrants to arrive in this Colin try after having given the people or New Zealand an assurance that no more would arrive until such time as the ul^H! ployment Question was settled. With the economic position in so deplorable a state we consider it absolutely unjust to the workers of New Zealand to continue bringing people to this country when there is absolutely no prospects, and where there are thousands of unemployed and funds cannot be found even for relief work. There are men walking round looking for work from the last batch of immigrants to arrive in the Dominion. On the subject of relief works the conference expressed itself strongly. The wages and conditions prevailing among these men were stated to be a standing disgrace to the people of this Dominion. Married men with wives and families who ar€i working on the Duneain-Portobello highway are compelled to pay from their scanty earnings for being conveyed to and from their work, which leaves after such deductions have been made' an average wage of Is an hour. This system of relief workers having to pay their fare is general throughout the Dominion, even when the method of conveyance is by the Government railways. Without any extra expense to the Government these men could be conveyed to the job. This, we feel, is a clear instance of the Government exploiting these workers. We feel that this state of affairs calls for the protest of every honest citizen of the Dominion. The resolutions of the conference were passed unanimously, and will be forwarded to the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and to the Minister of Labour. Conference decided that Auckland remain the headquarters of the federation for the ensuing year. Mr. G. Solomon was re-elected president, E. Toy vice-pre-sident, and Mr. J. Sutherland secretarv and treasurer. It was resolved to hold the next conference at Christchurch in October, 1928.