THE TRAMWAY LABOUR. DIFFICULTY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 262, 9 November 1906, Page 2

THE TRAMWAY LABOUR. DIFFICULTY.

*£R- HANSEN ESTTEEvTEWED.

When seen this morning concerning the trouble between the company and its employees, !__ connection with which a meeting of the men was held yesterday mornmg..Mr. P. Hansen, the managing director of the Auckland Electric Tramways' Company, expressed the opinion that the trouble had been fomented by one or •two disaffected spirits, the great bulk of the men finding nothing whatever to cavil at in the action of the management. With regard to the dismissal of Conductor Beastom he absolutely denied that the cause of bis dismissal was for writing objectionable matter on a window, as alleged. He certainly had Beaston before him owing to a report that was forwarded to him concerning an objectionable remark on the window in reference to the' Dunedin award, but as Beaston emphatically denied having had any part in it, the'matter dropped, and no more was thought of it, "And as for the suggestion of a speaker at Yesterday's meeting, that Beaston was dismissed because he had been making himself too prominent in a public wav, and the company were afraid that he "would tackle them next; all I can answer to that is,"said Mr. Hansen, "if my directors thought I was likely to be influenced by such a paltry fear as that, I should not hold my appointment here for five minutes. The other conductor had been dismissed, not owing to one complaint made by a passenger, as was alleged, but only after other breaches of the company's by-laws providing for proper attention to the public had been reported. No man was ever dismissed summarily, and in the case of complaints or demerit marks. he always had the privilege of appealing against it, and of getting the matter sifted, any time within 4S houre after the report was received. "To charge us -with dismissing men on any paltry pretext is to charge us with neglecting N our own interests." asserted Mr. Hansen, in answer to a question as to the system of the company with regard to 'its employees. "It is to our interest to keep our men, for every new -man has to be broken in, which mean's loss to. the company. As to our demerit system, no good man will find fault with that, because it is no more trouble to him than .

policeman standing at the street corner is to you. Demerit marks are for wrongdoers, and with a company dealing with a large body of men, especially where they are practically in the position of public servants, it is absolutely necessary that some such system should be in existence to ensure proper conduct on the part of the men. You see, here are 365 men, not working within the four walls of a factory, but scattered over 25 miles of road, and able very largely to do as they please. It is essential, therefore, that strict regulations should exist, and also that they should be enforced. Otherwise you may be very certain that the people of Auckland would' demand something being done' to protect their interests."

Speaking of the threat of- referring the matter in dispute' to the Trade, j and Labour Council. 'T can only say," j remarked Mr. Hansen, "that I consider such a truculent attitude on the part | of the secretary .of the .Union to be..' one that will prove quite useless; and, ■ besides. I could certainly not for aj •moment suffer to be dictated to in a matter of this kind. . Although, as I j "have proved in the 'past,"T am. -always ! ready ' to. consider recommendationsfrom the Trades and Labour Council, ; I am the last man in the world to be intimidated by such a threat as this." -|

Referring to the resolution passed by the men respecting an officer: Mr. Hansen expressed himself as being determined to be affected by no vague charges. The officer in question acted under instructions, and was one in whom he had- the greatest confidence. He was always prepared to inquire into any circumstances that might have resulted from a misunderstanding, but to accuse a man who, to the best of his knowledge, was only conscientiously carryingout his duty, was both unfair and unwise. WHAT THE UNION WANTS. The Secretary of the Tramways Employees' Union, Mr. A. Rosser, when interviewed on the subject, said that the whole difficulty centred round the Company's practice of dealing with the v men under the demerit system. The Union wanted this matter to be placed on a more satisfactory footing from the men's standpoint. When a man was asked to appear at the ihead office upon some charge of contravening the Company-, by.. laws, he should be afforded the opportunity of calling witnesses. And what they also wished to see established was an appeal board, similar to what existed in connection with the State Railway Department and .tramway "system; in-New South Wales. Mr-. Bosser was-emphatic that in the ca.e of the conductor dismissed last week on the complaint of a passenger, the man was not given a chance to produce evidence- oau his -own behalf, although he'was able to bring forward reliable eye-witnesses of what took place. If the company Tefused absolutely to reopen inquiry the whole question -would be referred to the Trades and Labour Council for advice as to further action. And as there were 22 unions affiliated with the Council, in addition to tbe moral support of all the other Trades and Labour Councils in the- colony, the men would enter the lists with the knowledge that their action was approved by all the unionists of the colony. The insecurity of the present position had, in fact, become intolerable to the men, some of whom did not know how soon they might be dealt with similarly as the two men in question had been treated.