STRIKE IN AUCKLAND

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 October 1938, Page 6

STRIKE IN AUCKLAND

THREE FERTILISER WORKS HELD UP NEW AWARD DECLARED TO BE UNFAIR SOME DETAIL CONTENTIONS (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, October 18. As a result, it is stated, of grievances over a new award just issued by the Court of Arbitration, several hundreds of men employed at three chemical manure works in Otahuhu, namely, the Challenge Phosphate Co., Kempthorne Prosser, and the New Zealand Farmers’ Fertiliser Co., failed to start work this morning. About 350 men are concerned. The men congregated at the various works and discussed the provisions of the new award which was published this morning. Shortly after midday the secretary of the Otahuhu Chemical Workers’ Union, Mr W. Miller, visited Otahuhu and discussed with the workers various phases of the situation. It is understood that arrangements of the three works to hold a meeting in the Trades Hall this afternoon. The representatives of the three firms were reticent, but it is stated that the men had intimated that they had no grievance against the firms, but were dissatisfied with the terms of the new award. They had not yet made it clear where the dissatisfaction began and ended. The employers were hopeful that at the meeting in the Trades Hall the position would be clarified and the men would decide not to stage a strike. The award provides that the minimum wage rate be increased from 2s 3d to 2s 41d an hour for chemical manure workers in the northern district. THE WORKERS’ CASE “The hew award is unfair, considering the conditions under which we work,” said one of the workers in Otahuhu this afternoon. “The conditions are extremely difficult and practically no effort has been made by the court to meet our claims and alleviate our position.” “It has got to come to a head now and be settled once and for all," said another worker. It was stated that when the matter was discussed with the employers a small increase in wages was offered retrospective to March last. The award issued allowed this increase, but did not make it retrospective, so that folnine months’ work the men had been penalised. Furthermore, the court had allowed a week’s paid holiday for continuous shift workers, but had not defined what continuous shift workers were. The men maintained that under the 40-hour week there was no such thing, and in consequence none was getting a week’s paid holiday. A sulphur worker said that watersiders received 3s 5d an hour for handling this product, but the award provided only for 2s 7-Jd for chemical workers. The work was harder and had to be done by shovel. STATEMENT BY MANAGER. “We have no dispute and we cannot be considered the opposing party in the strike,” said the manager of one of the workers affected. "The position is that the men ceased work because of dissatisfaction with the court’s award. We consider that, as a party to the proceedings that led to the award, we must accept the decision of the court. The men’s protest is with the court, so that we can hardly interfere in the circumstances.”

The manager explained that the court made an increase in certain rates of lAd an hour. Its decision was very much on the lines of an offer made by the employers several months ago which would have been retrospective to a certain date. It was a conditional offer, and it was rejected by the union. The men now complained that the award made by the court was not retrospective. Some objection appeared to be raised regarding the rate of 2s 7td for chemical workers, a comparison have been made with the rate of 3s 5s an hour given to watersiders for handling sulphur. It was further stated that conditions in the two types of work, however, were very different. Waterside work was casual, and the men on sulphur unloading had to operate in unpleasant conditions in ships holds. There was a greater degree of permanency of employment at manure works, and practically all sulphur handling was done in the open. There is an impression that any strike will not serious affect the various works as they are now experiencing an off season period. The Minister of Labour, the Hon H. T Armstrong, is in touch with the position and has been fully advised of developments. CANTERBURY SUPPORT. CHRISTCHURCH. This Day. Associating themselves with the protest made by the employees of the chemical manure works at Otahuhu against the provision of the new Arbitration Court award, the employees of the chemical works at Hornby stopped work for two hours today.