Trades and the Workers

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 606, 7 March 1929, Page 6

Trades and the Workers

By

"ARBITER"

UNION MEETING DATES

Thursday, March®! (to-night) Electrical Workers Thursday, March 7 (to-night Alliance of Labour Friday, March S * Curriers Saturday, March 9 Fellmongers Monday, March Painters Tuesday, March 12.. .. .. Storemen Tuesday, March 12 Tramwaymen (10 a.m. and 8 p.m.) Wednesday, March 13 Gas Employees

The Amalgamated Engineers’ Union has nominated Mr. A. L. Monteith for re-election to the position of workers’ representative on the Arbitration Court, and Mr. W. E. Sill as actingworkers’ representative. The glass works at Penrose have closed down on account of slackness in orders. The stoppage, which has thrown between 60 and 70 men on to the road, probably will last for six weeks or two months. Organisation Desired A meeting of trade union executives, which, was held last week to discuss .reorganisation questions and affiliation with the Alliance of Labour, decided to distribute propaganda to the rank and file members throughout the district urging upon them the desirability of belonging to a strong national organisation such as the alliance.

It will be pointed out to them that no representation at Geneva may he expected until there is comnlete na-

tional organisation, while the strength of a Dominion-wide body would be invaluable if properly worked for the betterment of the men’s conditions. * * • Forward Move A few men were placed in the engineering trades during the week, but most of them were casual jobs. The Amalgamated Engineers’ Union was addressed by Mr. W. J. Jordan, M.P. for Manukau on Tuesday evening, when probable remedies for the unemployment problem were discussed. It has been decided that Mr. Jordan address the union again in April, when the whole position, with causes and possible remedies, will be treated exhaustively, and plans for working toward a solution will be formulated. This action by the engineers is commendable, and might be followed with fruitful results by other unions throughout the Dominion. As things are now the worker, in many instances, . is stewing in the fat of his own indiscretions. He will continue to do so until there is a 100 per cent, spirit of fellowship and unanimity among the whole of the wage-earners. After they have got that, then let them think of talking with the bosses. Solution For Timber Trade An opportunity to solve the problem of the timber industry in New Zealand lies in the hands of the Government. Thousands of men throughout the country are being absorbed in jobs other than their own, and throwing out of gear the whole industrial system. The trade is dead-—dead as the Egyptian age—and action must come soon if it is to be replaced in its correct, status as the second largest secondary industry in the Dominion. The remedy is suggested by Mr. E. J. Phelan, secretary of the union. If they must have foreign timber. he said, “let us bring it into the country in bulk and cut it up here. There is no necessity to have it, but if they insist, then we will handle it. If this were done, and foreign timber imported in big sizes, we could employ 6,000 men almost straight away. It would entail no hardship whatever, but would heip to replace the industry on its feet. It is possible that an organised move by the employers and men will be made to impress the Government with the necessity for an early solution. Starving Together The ghastly spectacle of privation and hunger is staring many Auckland woriters in the face. Those who do not actually see stalwart men waiting with moist eyes and quivering lips at the union offices for work, cannot get even a remote impression of what they are suffering. In some circumstances it is indelicate to refer to tattered clothes and sunken cheeks, but the spectacle is becoming common and remains so poignantly in the memory that the public must know if they are to recognise their responsibilities in settling the big prcfcblem of industrial depre*sion. Here is a case in point: A man, ablebodied and ready to work, sought work in his trade (St doesn’t matter which: many trades are affected). He had been nine month’s out of work and was five months behind with his rent. At home his wife and five children grew thinner daily on the meagre charity rations. While he was at the union office the secretary received a request for a man. Tears streamed down the face of this strong noam as he received the first chance of th.e job. His attitude was that of many other men: “If I go to the csountry it will be a month before I get any money. In the meantime my wift> and children will starve. It is better tkiat I stay here on the chance of helping them and, if necessary, starve with them.” m * # 500 For One Job During a talk with the engineers on Tuesday evening-, Mr. W. J. Jordan, M.P., who has just returned overseas, gave a graphic narrative* of the industrial and social conditions in the heart of England. He personally visited places where applications were called for jobs, and there saw 500" and 600 men in the queue for one posit Von. Hundreds of men flocked to %.'-!! quarters of the industrial cities hoi\“ ing for something to keep their famil* I

ies from the verge of starvation. Britain had lost 100,000 men from the engineering: trades through their drift to other trades, and their migration to other countries. In reply to a questioner, Mr. Jordan referred to the boy-employment in New Zealand, and said that it must be remembered that the boy should not be induced to push his father out of a job. If a boy were chosen for a job to the detriment of his father in the same trade, the wage of the junior would be insufficient to keep the father, the mother and brothers and sisters on the living basis. It was mentioned, incidentally by Mr. Jordan that in Canada the introduction of machinery in some lines had displaced 75 per cent, of the employees.

A New Industry-

A new industry, the manufacture of felt slippers, is to be started in Wellington shortly. This is the mission of Mr. H. Van do Velde, managing director of Belt and Textiles of Australia, Ltd., who arrived by the Makura yesterday from Sydney. Mr. Van de Velde stated that the company had already taken premises in Wellington and had the nucleus of a staff who arrived about two weeks ago. It was proposed to start active operations during the next three or four weeks. The New Zealand business would be a subsidiary company to the Australian concern, which was now turning out over 3,500,000 pairs of felt slippers every year. Much of the felt used was made from New Zealand wool, of which about £SOO worth a week was used. The locally-made slippers would be manufactured from felt made from New Zealand wool in Australia.

Peace or War?

The reasons given by the Australian Workers’ Union for not participating ill the efforts for industrial peace are not complimentary to their employers. “The present attitude of the employers toward organised Labour, is not calculated to induce a belief in the genuineness of their desire for peace, the manifesto reads. “At the very time when we are being exhorted to get together in all friendliness, members of the Waterside Workers’ Union are being mercilessly victimised and beaten with the iron rod of hunger: Union officials are being brought before the courts as criminals for fighting the battles of the workers whom they represent, and in the timber industry the greatest discontent has been provoked by a drastic and unwarranted increase of the hours ot labour —a discontent which has spread to other sections of the working class, who regard this capitalistic offensive as the prelude to an atack on their own conditions.