DISCONTENTED ROPEWORKERS

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 102, 30 April 1913, Page 6

DISCONTENTED ROPEWORKERS

VICT—_ISA—COW ALLEGED. A BUSINESS MAN'S EXPLANATION. There was a. flutter of excitement ait Donaghy and Co.'* rope and twine factory, iv Stanley Street, t_ie morning, when same thirty of the employees intimated to the manager that they were not prepared to resume work until two employees, whose services were dispellsed with las* night, had been reinstated. The manager's reply was a frank agreement with the attitude, that those who did not wish to go to work should go away from the factory altogether. The men's point of view was explained to a "Star" reporter by a deputation of three acting as spokesmen for the dissatisfied ones. They related that a week ago they approached the manager (Mr W. Pasemore) with a request for an increase in wages, and were add that their requests would be considered during the course of the following week. On Tuesday night (pay night) increases in wages were granted to quite a number of men, but at the same time the services of two men (young married men) were dispensed with. One of these* it was said, was the man who had been chosen to act as spokesman when the men's grievances were l>e_g submitted to the manager. The reason given for the dismissal (according to the men) was that work was slack, but, they pointed out, about a dozen new hands, at from £1 to £1 5/ per week, had been taken on during the week. The men who were dismissed were on the same mark as these who had been raised from £2 7/6 to £2 10/ per week. The "strikers" also mentioned the case of one employee, recently engaged, whose wages had been increased until he was getting more than the men who had been with the firm for a very long time. They declared their intention of keeping away from work until their mates had been reinstated, and explained that about five of the new men had loyally joined them in the protest. Mr Passmore, manager for Donaghy and Co.. in Auckland, told a "Star' reporter that the position was just as had been expixined above, with this exception, that the twelve new hands were boys, and were of course paid hoys' wages. Employment in a twine factory, he explained, is not a trade, and is not skilled work. A boy, in a day or two, can attend to the spinning jennies as competently as an old hand. In all other part 6of the world, in Australia, and in Foxton, these identical machines were tended by girl labour. That would show that the work was not skilled work. There was one very dusty and unpleasant job, attending to a certain "fibre-teasing-"' machine, which few employees would tackle for more than a day or two. One man came along who had done this sort of work at Foxton, and, as he was -willing to stick to it, his wages had been raised to £2 8/. That was what caused the others to ask for an increase. "But," ilr Passmore said, "what the men don't understand is that T must make the works pay on the current price of the finished commodity. We are not working under an award, which would enable mc to pass increased cost of production on to the consumer. I have to compete, as I said, with girl labour. As the trade fluctuates, I reduce the number of hands accordingly. •When I raised the wages of some of these men, I found that I had more men at £2 10/ than the husiness could carry, and. naturally, as a business man, I got cheaper labour. That is the whole position, and I am not in the least anxious about the result."