TRADE AND LABOUR NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 51, 28 February 1918, Page 9

TRADE AND LABOUR NOTES.

(By INDUSTRIAL TKAMr.) g TKi&X MEETINGS FOR THE -WEEK. 1 jifis Evening, Feb. 2S.—EnslnecLrivers, | Coopers. g nvMav March I.—Moulders, Storeruen. E gatttrday. March 2. -Brick and Tile | ■STorkers. H jj oD day, March 4.—Flasterers, Shipwrights. g nmbenvortere. j ; BACK WAGES. \ It -will be remembered that Inspector 5 Boekland. of the Auckland Electric j J jramwavs Company was successful in \ iris appeal to tho Tramwaji Appeal i | Board, last year, for wrongful dismissal; j | and, as the result of that verdict, was ! j reinstated in his position as inspector i | jp the tramway service. He claimed I i that the reinstatement also carried with ! j it payment for back -wages that accrued i ! through his suspension, but the Com- ', pany decided that they could not recog- '• nise his claim. 3lr. Rockland has [ already instituted proceedings before the Supreme Court, for the recovery of the ( J4 weeks' wages at £4 5/ per *eek, and j? the sum of £40 costs of prosecuting his I appeal before tbe Appeal Board. It may well -be taken as a test case to determine the vexed question of whether in a ease of a successful appeal against wrongful dismissal or suspension, and a consequent reinstatement, back lost through such suspension are recoverable by law as the result of the verdict. The dcci- | i sion affects all tramway men as well' ! as other workers throughout the Domin- » ion. The case comes on shortly, and : the result will be awaited with keen in- I terest by workers as well as by em- ; plovers. i POLITICAL ACTION. At a meeting of the Waihi branch of the New Zealand Labour party it waS unanimously resolved to assist financially the candidature of Mr. Holland for the Wellington North seat, and expressing the hope that he would be returned at the head of the poll. It was also resolved to hold a sports demonstration j on Easter Monday with the object of raising funds for the purpose of supporting Labour candidates at the next general election. THE TAILORING TRADE DISPUTE. At the annual meet-ing of the Auckland ! Cutters. Pressers, and" Other Clothing ; Trade Employees' Industrial X"nion of "tt orkers a resolution was passed unanimously entering an emphatic protest against the action of the Court of Arbitration through the introduction of clauses in the recent tailors' award which are considered to afford facilities far sweating; also the dilution of labour by the employment of four journeywotnen or apprentices to one skilled male worker; the lowering of the piecework log rate by id per hour; and the proposal to bring the tailoresses within the scope of the team clauses of the tailors' award, seeing that the tailoresses are satisfied with their award in so far as it does not permit of sweating; in fact, it contains a clause -which distinctly prohibits the team system. Further, the union maintains that if female labour is t-o be introduced to replace the male ■workers in this or any other industry, and also to take the places of men who were formerly in this industry, but are now fighting for their country in the trenches, that they be paid equal -wages for equal work. Aiain, the union is of the opinion that fpinale inspectors should be appointed, vested with power to take evidence and to report to the Minister of Labour with a view to the suppression of sweating in factories, said inspectors to control all industries in which female workers are employed. The matter is. in the opinion of the union, a concern of all organised labour, and they pledge themselves to give moral and financial support to the Tailors' Union in its endeavour to obtain a modification of the reactionary clauses of their award. PENALISED HOTEL WORKERS, The Hotel Workers' Unions of the Dominion are still smarting under a deep sense of injustice to their members by reason of the penalties inflicted for breaches of the Anti-shouting Regulations. Last week Mr. E. Kennedy, assistant secretary of the Wellington Hotel and Restaurant Employees' Union. seized the opportunity presented by the reply of the Prime Minister to Mr. Holland, a candidate for the Wellington North seat, and uses it as a peg on which to hang another protest. Mr. Kennedy in his letter writes:— ! "I have noticed in the Press your replies to certain statements purported I to be made by Mr. H. Holland at a recent meeting, and in the reply to No. 1 point yon state: 'This statement is untrue. Xo :nan could be and no man was •entenced more than once for tbe same offence.' In making and publishing this reply you have evidently endeavoured to make the public of New Zealand believe that no person can be punished for the one offence more than once. If this was your intention, may I point out to you that in this country already a number of men and women have had to suffer twice for the one offence under the AntiBhonting Regulations placed upon the statute book by the rCational Government. As you are aware, under these regulations people (bar attendants) who are convicted of an offence are penalised, firstly by a fine, and secondly by loss of employment for six months, and in the second instance, whilst losing their employment as barmen or barmaids as the case may be, they are further penalised in that they cannot take any other position in any licensed hotel for six months. In the reply above quoted you have stated definitely that no person could be penalised more than once for the same offence. Why, then, is it that our barmen and barmaids have to suffer this great injustice. May we ask that in the face of the statement above quoted and made by you. are you prepared to so alter these Anti-sbourtng Regulations ■so as to remove the injustice of the double penalty imposed hy them upon our barmen and barmaids?" Tialy is probably the only country in Europe where there has not been a single strike of any importance during the Past two years. It is also a notable fact that since the beginning of the war not a single Italian newspaper hae been seized or suspended- !