PUBLIC WORKS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 97, 5 February 1936, Page 3

PUBLIC WORKS

MEN MUST JOIN UNION. MINISTER’S EXPECTATIONS. (Per Press Association). AUCKLAND, February 4. A declaration that all men employed on Public Works jobs must join the New Zealand Workers’ Union, and that any grievances they had would be settled through representatives of that union, was made by the Minister for Public Works (the Hon 11, Semple), while addressing the men at the Mangere air base. Mr Semple stated that this would expedite matters both for the Department and for the men, and would avoid any stoppages on individual jobs through dissatisfaction. Mr Semple told the men of the decision he had made about the introduction of the 40-hour week, equal pay for single and married men, and also for Maori and pakeha. It was a vicious syste.m, he said, where men did the same job, working side by side, for different rewards. If extra assistance had to be given to married men, it should be done, and would be done, by amendments to the family allowance provisions. He had given instructions that an agreement should be arrived at concerning the question of a minimum wage. This would be ready for signature as soon as Parliament had made the necessary legislation for the introduction of the reforms he proposed. Finance Discussed. “All this requires money,” said Mr Semple, “and remember: money does not grow on mulberry busnes. The Finance Minister cannot create money with a wave of his hand. Parliament has a big job ahead of it, and it neons your co-operation in order to be entirely successful. AAe are giving to you, men, an incentive to work. AAe are providing modern facilities, both for you and the engineers, and the wheelbarrow will be thrown into the backwash of oblivion like some of the members of Parliament at the last election. AVc have big jobs to do.”

AVhen all these improvements were made on public works it was expected, said,Mr Semple, that the men would give of their best. The nan who took a job with the Public Works Department thinking lie was going to have an easy time was making a terrible mistake. “Good hard work docs not hurt any man so long as he gets a reward for it. 1 know there have been men ou public works who thought they were going to have the time of their lives, but we won’t have it. Deputations from Communist organisations have waited on me and their interviews have lasted n couple of minutes. Fe have a responsibility to the nation and, to the men to build New Zealand and make it the place it ought to be. We demand good work and co-opera-tion by the men we employ. AVc will have nothing to do with Communist organisations. They come on the job as a destructive force to teach liio men to loaf.”

Visilt to Every Job. Mr Semple said he was going to visit every public works job in the country, and from bis own experience lie would examine their possibilities. He hoped they would have more uselul and profitable jobs for the men in the near future. There would, have to lie a, regrading of men. Those who expected that the Labour Government could reestablish the country in 24 hours did not know what they were talking about. They had already discovered that the country was down to zero, and the Cabinet was working every minute of the day in an. effort to bring it back to stability. “We are not going to be stampeded by anyone into doing the wrong tiling,”' said Mr Semple. “We have got to have the time. We have got to be cautious, and wo have got to have the co-operation and trust of the rnen on the job. Listen, to this. We have no time for the ‘scrounger,’ for the street-corner lounger, or the stock exchange gambler. They are a curse to the eountrv and a barrier to civilisation. When we have introduced, om legislation, when we have given you the means whereby you can work efficiently, and when we have given you adequate reward, please step on to it. Because, if you don’t, you will step out.” . The Hon. 11. T. Armstrong (Minister for Labour), in speaking to the men, also asked for their co-operation in assisting the Labour Government to improve conditions generally in New Zealand. The Government could not mend matters in 48 hours, but it could be depended upon to do the right thing by the people of the country. He asked them to have patience and to put their confidence in their new leaders. Not only were the men to be considered,, lint there were also unemployed boys and girls and unemployed women.