STOPPAGES OF WORK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 December 1938, Page 8

STOPPAGES OF WORK

ARISING OUT OF LABOUR DISPUTES HIGHEST NUMBER THIS YEAR SINCE 1925. SOME FIGURES OF LOSS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. With 11 months of 1938 completed, the number of industrial disputes in the Dominion involving a stoppage of work is the nighest since 1925. The number of workers concerned (approximately 12,000) is also the highest sihee 1925. The estimated loss in wages to the workers is expected to total between £40,000 and £50,000. According to the Abstract of Statistics, there were 56 cases under the heading of industrial disputes (strikes or stoppages of work) in the Dominion up to the end of September of this year. They involved 8262 workers. Since that there have been a further 16 cases of stoppage of work, involving approximately 4000 workers, bringing the aggregate up to the end of November to 72 and 12,000 workers. ■ ' Since 1925 the number of disputes and the workers involved have been as follows: 1925, 83 and 9905; 1926, 59 and 6264; 1927, 38 and 4476; 1928, 39 and 9258; 1929, 47 and 7151; 1930, 38 and 5467; 1931, 24 and 6356; 1932, 23 and 9355; 1933, 15 and 3558; 1934, 24 and 3773; 1935, 12 and 2323; 1936, 13 and 7354; 1937, 1937, 52 and 41,411. The estimated loss in wages during those periods is: 1925, £49,149; 1926, (£32,355; 1927, £11,819; 1928, £22,304; 11929, £26,940; 193.0, £37,299; 1931, £44,544;. 1932, £105,715; 1933, £59,334; 1934, £7121; 1935, £15,266; 1936, £12,886; 1937, £32,129; 1938 (nine months), £45,000. ALL INDUSTRIES AFFECTED.

Work has been stopped for varying periods this year in different parts of the Dominion in the freezing, mining, and various manufacturing industries, on the waterfront, on board ships, and, in factories and workshops. State enterprises have not been exempt, ar.d there have been stoppages on pub’ie works as well as the recent and major delays at the Otanuhu railway workshops), and time lost in State mines in the South Island. Recent weeks have produced an almost endless succession of decisions to stop work, strikes and labour disputes. Dissatisfaction with the delays in the issuing of awards and also With the provisions of awards once they have been issued have been stated as the main causes. In addition there have been a large number of disputes between employers and employees which have resulted in work being stopped and plants becoming idle. The two industries most affected have been coal mining and shipping. In the former there have to date been 20 stoppages of work involving 3500 workers. The number of days lost was 60 and the wages lost approximately £19,000. There have been 18 major hold-ups on the waterfront involving 1800 workers. The days lost totalled 64, and the approximate loss in wages £12,000. In. meat freezing works there have been 12 stoppages of work involving 3200 workers. The days lost totalled 25 and the wages lost £7OOO. They are the three major industries affected. Other industries in which stoppages of work have occurred are building and construction (2), ship and boat b.i iding (2), metal trades (2), clay, glass and chemical trades (8), paper and printing .(1), gold mining (2), and miscellaneous (3). The total number of workers affected in these industries is approximately 9000, the number of days lost 125, and the loss in wages approximately £BOOO.