NO RATIONING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 259, 2 November 1931, Page 3

NO RATIONING.

TRAMWAY UNION'S DECISION.

MARRIED MEN'S PLIGHT

■LET DOWN BY FELLOW WORKERS."

"We have been let down by our fellow workers," said the leader of a deputation of seven tram conductors, which called at the "Star" office on Saturday. g e6 aid that all the seven were married men with young families and had ibeen patiently waiting the result of the baliotifin the hope of getting work.

The leader of the deputation said that they realised that the management of the Auckland Transport Board was in sympathy with them, but under a clause in the agreement with the workers the board apparently had to abide by the result of the vote. They had now been informed that probably a large number of extra men would have to be put off.

He said the majority of fche deputation also 'had their motormen's tickets. They had been put off Tinder a system of "last on first off." The principle that' half a loaf is better than no bread evidently did not appeal to men who knew that if the staff was shortened they themselves would not be affected. Quite a number of the men left on the job were single. In addition to their wages, they also had the opportunity of earning overtime. ' "It is ead to think that there are men in work who deliberately adopted a course which refused bread and butter'to fellow workers, who have been loval to them," said another member of the deputation. "The whole thing is selfishness. Some of the men on the tramways who voted on Friday against rationing have had steady jobs for the last 25 years. Some of them have their Wives working and earning good money, gome-of the men have their own motor explained that all the members of the deputation were excluded from votin»;for the reason that they were not pligible 'as active members of the union tfhen they were off the job.

''•"-'.: Union's Consent Necessary. Mr J A. C. Allum, chairman of the iuck'land Transport Board, said this morning that the board was definitely opposed to a policy, where retrenchments were concerned, of indiscriminately putting off the last men to join the service. In all cases where dismissals were necessary owing to declining revenue, a line was being taken which "would cause the least hardship. ('Wherever possible rationing will be parried out," he said, "but unfortunately the agreement with the union does not permit of rationing without the.consent pf the union, and that proposal has been • turned down." Mr. A. E. Ford, general manager, said or nine men in the traffic department had been put off, but they bad' Jail been engaged as ■ temporary hands. A notice had been posted at . theltramway sheds suggesting that men who'could afford to do-so should apply jorf leave, and, he had interviewed a uunjb'er of the employees, . with -.the result that some had agreed':to take holidays for periods varying ? from>one to'six months. "This is relieving the position considerably,' , he said, "and I . anticipate that we will not have to retrench nearly as many hands as we. anticipated." Rationing - was being adopted at the workshops in respect to 'the section not in the Tramways Union. All .the engineering ■ sections ,had; agreed to rationing, and no men would-be put <*.*■ ■ ■•:■ 3