LABOR DISPUTES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2061, 19 June 1890, Page 3

LABOR DISPUTES.

London, June 16. The dock companies have yielded, and the men will resume work, It is feared that the dispute with the postmen will delay the delivery of the Australian mail. The Executive of the New Zealand Amalgamated Society of Eailway Servants waited oh the Commissioners in Wellington last Monday. The delegates were: Messrs Hoban (president), Edwards (general secretary), Haden, Winter, Owen, and El vines. Mr Hoban explained that they wished to establish friendly relations with]the Commissioners. In fact, the executive would prove to be of great value to the Commissioners, as instead of every petty grievance being referred to the Commissioners the Executive would take upon themselves the responsibility of adjudging small complaints, Mr McKerrow said they would not allow the Executive te be the medium for the workmen's grievances. If a workman had a complaint it should be i forwarded through the proper channel to his superior officer. After d, short'discussion the Commissioners agreed to receive complaints through the Executive. A long discussion took place on the question of boy labor. The Commissioners asserted they had no intention ot flooding the service with boys, and that the auggestion would be adopted as far as possible on .the number of hours of labor.

Mr Owen compared the position of an engine-driver in New South Wales with an engine-driver in New Zealand, showing that the former waQ wuch better off in respect of hours than the latter, the rate of pay also being higher. They did net ask for big pay, but urged that instead of employing one man for a day and a half s work, the Commissioners should give employment to another man. He (Mr Owen), as an engine-driver, would state emphatically that all they wanted was a fair day's work without any overtime, and a fair rate of wages. The efforts of the Commissioners £q run the railways economically were ably seconded by the men! themselves., and h« h,ope4 Wf CommJßflionerfl,

would take this fact into consideration.

Mr McKerrow pointed out that engine-drivers often had to stand four or five hours n.t a station, and he did not see that ifc was fair that they should be paid for that time. For instance, a man who had charge of an engine on a country train might have to stand at a station for several hours a day, and if he were to be paid overtime for this, he would be in receipt of higher wages than the man who would drive (say) an express train for eight houra at a stretch. If the i Society's demands in regard to drivers and firemen were acceded to the cost of working the railways would be increased by fully £50,000 per annum. At present the railways were not yielding sufficient to pay interest at Home, and therefore the Society must remember that the £50,000 "would have to come off settlers by taxation. Mr Owen said the society did not wish anything unreasonable, but what they proposed to do was this : After a man's 4S hours for the week were finished to pay him overtime for the six hours required to make the four clear days ; then to have him relieved by another man, or io other words institute e " three-leg service. " The next subject touched on was the piece system, the delegates pointing out many injnsiices arising: from the system. The men were unanimously agreed that the system was bad, as it was an infallible means of reducoing the price of labour, Wherever it had been introduced wages bad gone down. The executive asked that it be abolished altogether. Mr McKerrow admitted that there was a good deal of truth in what bad been said, but if the system were done away whb, there might be a tendency on the part of the men to drop down to " Government stroke," Mr Owen complained of the use of the words " Go\eminent stroke" and said all the officers looked after the men too well to allow of it. This concluded the interview, and the commissioners promised their reply on Thursday, The delegates and the commissioners parted with expressions of good wishes.