EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 October 1920, Page 5

EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS.

PRINTING TRADE AWARD. REPLY TO THE UNION. . By Telegraph.—Press Association. » Wellington, Last Night. Mr. F. Pirani, secretary of the Wellington Master Printers' Association, made the following reply to the union's allegation and prote©s against the .delay in the operation of the last award: l — of the motions passed by the Wellington Typographical Association, allow me to give a public explanation of the position taken my association in reference to the new award. It is unfortunate that the awards, have been held up by the Government Department for reasons of which I know nothing, except what has been volunteered to mo by one of the workers most trusted by the representatives, and yet I can have no sympathy with the workers in the matter, as the hold up is due to an attempt to introduce new provisions into the preference clause, without specially directing the attention of the Court to it, and the provision is quite foreign to an arbitration award, and which many of the workers themselves object to. Indeed, we were assured at the conference, that there was nothing new in the preference clause. It is only fair to the employers to state , that they have, as usual, more than kept faith with the workers in every sense. They need not have paid more than the old rate of wages until the decision of the Court on September 13, yet they voluntarily increased the pay defined in the old awards by from £1 us to £2 a week, from April 2 in anticipation of the award. Probably the workers will retort that the amount would, anyhow, have had to be given in back pay, but against that philosophic argument let me point out that the same, reason should prevent the workers concerned from making untenable demands until the Court has settled the knotty point.i at issue. With the exception of the linotype operations, every! section of the trade has been paid within Is 3d and 3s 9d of the amount awarded by the Coivt. "In regard to the allegation of a conspiracy to defeat the award, the secretary of the Typographical Association was supplied with a copy of the letter sent to the court for an interpretation of the points at issue, and when the reply is received the employers will naturally comply with the dcoi-don given. Until then they have a perfect right to wait. It is no'fault of the employers that tho award lias not been circulated, so that a complete understanding could be arrived at. As T have pointed out, it is entirely due to the introduction by the workers of a provision considered by those in authority t> bo contrary to the law, and the employees arc quite aware that their own interests demand an honorable understanding with their employees, and the absence of friction in the trade is sufficient guarantee that they have always observed that policy. Such attitude as that shown in the motions referred to, is not likely to persuade tho employers in future to act promptly and considerately, as they have in the present case, and to voluntarily take steps to "help those upon whom they think the cost of living presses unduly, but I do hope that the motions passed do not reflect thematured opinions of a majority of the workers in the trade.