CARPENTERS' WAGES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 250, 22 October 1928, Page 14

CARPENTERS' WAGES.

ON GOVERNMENT WORK.

SAVING A FARTHING AN HOUR.

The Government, through the Public Works Department, employ a number of carpenters on the various works undertaken by that Department throughout the country, says Mr. Tom Blood worth, secretary of the Carpenters' Union. On large construction work such as the Arapuni power station the conditions under which these men work are provided for in the general agreement covering Public Works employees, but for smaller jobs undertaken by the Department in and around the city it was for years the practice of the Department to observe the conditions of the carpenters' award and pay the rates stated therein to casual men employed

on these small jobs. In August a number of carpenters were engaged by the Department on work at Hobsonville Aerodrome, and it was reported by these men to their union that they were being paid 2/3J per hour, which is one farthing less than the minimum rate for carpenters provided for in the carpenters' On August 14 Mr, Bloodwurth wrote to the Minister of Public Works pointing out to him that the union considered unfair practices were being carried on by his Department in connection with work at the aerodrome. The letter stated: "It has been customary in the past for your Department to give at least minimum award conditions to men in trades covered by awards, and we see no reason for a departure from that practice in this case. Work at the aerodrome cannot be classed as relief work, and we do not think you would willingly take advantage of the bad state of our trade to men of one farthing per hour and to impose on them conditions which the Court of Arbitration would not allow a private employed. An acknowledgment of the letter was received dated August 22. A reply to the letter was received dated October 11, that is, two months after the letter from the union was sent, and some days after Parliament had risen. The reply, which iw signed by the Hon. K. S. Williams, Minister of Public Works, states: "I have to state that the ' Department's Tate of pay for temporary carpenters in the Auckland district is 2/3§ per hour, which, as mentioned by you, is only one farthing under the award rate. Temporary employees of the Public Works Department are, however, entitled to nine statutory holidays on full pay 'after two months' service, and twelve days' annual leave in addition, also on pay, after two years' continuous service."

Mr. Blood worth says: "Very few, if any, of the men taken on for work at the aerodrome would get two months' continuous service; some only got two or three weeks, and were then put off. Each of these was robbed by the Public Works Department of one farthing per hour for each hour they worked. At the present time the Department is carrying out alterations to premises in Queen Street which are to be used by the Tourist Department. Casual carpenters employed on the job are also being robbed of one farthing per hour, and there is very little chance of them getting the two months' continuous service which would entitle them to the compensating privilege of payment for statutory holidays. The carpenters' working week, as provided for in the award, is 44 hours, so that by the action of the Department carpenters are being deprived of lid per week. When the Court of Arbitration gave exemption from the award to the Sir William Armstrong, Whit worth Co., it did so only on condition that the provisions of the award prescribing minimum rates of wages were observed. Had that company been permitted to deprive carpenters of one farthing per hour, or lid per week, as the Government through the Public Works Department are now doing in Auckland, well, there might have been a different story to tell of the progress of work at Arapuni."