Trades and the Workers

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 316, 29 March 1928, Page 13

Trades and the Workers

By

“ARBITER”

UNION MEETING DATES Thursday, March 29 (to-nisht) Bngine Drivers. Thursday, March 29 (to-night) Boilermakers. Thursday, March 29 (to-night) .. .. Plumbers (educational). Thursday, March 29 (to-night) Women's Branch Labour Party. Monday, April 2 Drivers. Monday, April 2.. .. .. .. Shipwrights. Tuesday, April 3 .. Engineers. Wednesday, April 4 General Labourers. Wednesday, April 4 Carpenters. Wednesday, April 4 Onehunga Carpenters. Thursday. April 5 Rope and Twine Workers.

Mr. H. Wadham, secretary of the Auckland Gas Employees’ Union, is spending his annual leave. He has earned it by so faithfully representing the case of the men over the protracted negotiations for a settlement of the differences between the union and the company. The Conciliation Commissioner, Mr. P. Hally, is in Palmerston North attending to the dispute between the country journalists and the provincial newspaper proprietors concerned. He should be back in Auckland by the end of the week. No Jobs Offering Trade union secretaries have little to hand their men in the way of jobs. A few renovation contracts have brightened things a little in the Painters’ Union, but there is practically no new work being undertaken, and the jobs are but temporary. The Bakers’ Union is worse off than ever, 14 men being on the books. Many of the “casuals” have been relieving others who were on holiday, but this work is now through, and the unemployed list has grown. The Big Conference Things are moving in Wellington, and the big conference on industrial peace is in full swing. Several delegates from Auckland unions are participating in the various trades interests. Well prepared cases will be pleaded at the conference to convince the delegates upon the workers’ viewpoint, and doubtless the other factions are equally prepared. It is not a spirit of preparedness, but one of conciliation, however. that will win through to productive result on this occasion. mm Wharfies On The Mat No time is lost by the Sydney watersiders in dealing with men who offend against the ethics of the union. About a dozen wharf labourers were recently summoned to appear before the management committee of their union to answer a charge of leaving one job so that they might engage in more remunerative employment in discharging timber from another ship. Later other wharfies at work on the vessel left in sympathy with those called before the federation committee. The men do not like the committee’s attitude, and they say that if the 12 wharfies are punished they will force the case to the Court. * * * A Busy Easter Easter is a busy time for trade unionists. Conferences and meetings are usually convened about this period of the year, and Labour’s interests fully discussed. The most important from a Dominion standpoint will be the conference of the New Zealand Labour Party, which is to commence in Wellington on Easter Monday. Delegates from all affiliations will be present, and Auckland will be well represented. Mr.

Gavin Stove will represent the L.R.C. in Auckland, and trade unions are meeting this week to choose delegates for their specific representation. So things at the Trades Hall are quiet. “In fact,” one secretary said the other day. “if it were not for a frequent visit from my unemployed men, I would •become very lonely - in the job these days.” Unemployment Insurance General labourers are interested in the special meeting which is to be held on Wednesday evening of next week for the purpose of discussing the merits of the unemployment insurance scheme which has been before the House of Representatives in the hands of Mr. P. Fraser, member for Wellington Central. Mr. W. J. Jordan, Labour member for Manukau, will speak to the meeting on the scheme. * * * Excluding Aliens A thoughtful clause in the Contract Migrants Act of Australia is operating in the direction of restricting alien immigration. Under this legislation labourers cannot enter Australia unless it can be shown that there is a scarcity of workers in a particular industry in Australia. These provisions prevent, for instance, the importation of farm workers and unskilled labourers from foreign countries. The Commonwealth Government is taking steps to impose further restrictions upon alien immigrants who have been prejudicing Australian workers’ jobs. * * * Storemen To Confer One of the big Easter conferences will be the assembly of the New Zealand Storemen’s Federation at Dunedin, for which preparations are now ■ beingmade by the Dominion secretary, Mr. W. Miller, of Auckland. Three awards, which are due to expire shortly, will be placed before the conference for review—storemen and packers, wool store employees and the oil store employees. A lengthy agenda paper will contain questions of general interest to the storemen throughout the Dominion, as well as specific district affairs. Mr. Miller, together with Mr. H. Webb and Mr. J. Murdoch, will represent Auckland. Help For The Miners Genuine endeavours apparently are being made by the New South Wales Government to solve the problem of unemployment. A conference representing all branches of trade and industry is being held this week to discuss the general question, and in the meantime the Government has placed an order for 60,000 tons of coal with seven Northern collieries to help the mining industry and to alleviate unemployment among miners. The coal will be held in reserve, as it is not immediately needed, but the order of such a large quantity will do much to relieve the serious position of the coal industry in the Newcastle district.