LABOUR NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 236, 5 October 1935, Page 13

LABOUR NOTES.

UNION ACTIVITIES. (By INDUSTRIAL TRAMP.) UNION MEETINGS FOR THE WEEK: Monday, October 7.—Shipwrights. Tuesday, October B.—Storemen. Wednesday, Octoßer 9.—Auckland Carpenters. Onehunga Carpenters. Thursday, October 10.—Trades and Labour Council. Dairy Employees. Bacon Carers’ Special.

The hard times of the past four years have been reflected in labour unions in depleted membership and diminished operations. Some of these organisations have had to go out of existence, while others have just managed to keep going, in order to be able to resume their activities when better times arrive. With a seriously impaired revenue, many, if not all, unions have had to ‘•balance their budget” by cutting down salaries to a bare mimimum—several secretaries have been receiving no salaries at all. Their one concern has been to prevent the machines from stopping altogether.

One of the unions that had to cope with these hard conditions is the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners, but the various branches have managed so far to weather the storm. Owing to the alteration to the Arbitration Act, whereby compulsory arbitration was eliminated from its provisions, many unions have suffered the lapsing of their respective awards. The Carpenters’ Union, . nevertheless, has managed to keep its awards going. The general public has got the impression that the oft-quoted Mr. Rafferty’s. rules have gained the upper hand in all industries and worked accordingly. It is interesting to note that there is now a praiseworthy determination in the interests of fair competition to see that the provisions of an award are propel ly carried out. The new Government aeiodrome at Hobsonvillc is being erected under a system of contract and for months past one contractor at least has been working his carpenters on Satuiday afternoons without paying them at overtime rates where provided m the carpenters’ award. On Thursday wees the Auckland Carpenters’ Union, through its solicitor, Mr. Tuck, prosecuted one of these contractors for a breach of the award in working his men on Saturday afternoons regularly witiiout overtime rates being paid, and the magistrate, Mr. Wyvern Wilson, inflicted a penalty of £2 and £1 1/ costs. The penalty may seem small in proportion to the gravity of the offence but it must not be overlooked that such decisions as this also carry with them the payment of all back money involved, which, in this case, with so many men concerned, is rather considerable. The Carpenters’ Union yesteiday received notice that another prosecution for a similar breach of the award, hied bv the Labour Department against the contractor for the erection of Dingwall s Buildings in Queen Street, foi cn ’P , "y in- carpenters on Saturday afternoons and evenings without payment of oveitime rates, was heard on September 30, when a penalty of £3 and costs was inflicted. P My object in two cases is twofold. Firstly, to let employers and employees alike see that there arc such things as awards still operating, and, secondly, that my e P X, to a greater or lesser degree, may see the wisdom o keeping a uno in existence. I am informed that in resnect of the latter breach the amount of' back money recoverable is also not inconsiderable.

DEMOCRAT OFFICIAL ENTRY.

The new Democrat party has been before the public by means of repoits of its activities in organising for some months now, but always with an air of mystery surrounding its operations. This week at the Auckland Town Hall that mystery was removed, in a metaphorical sense the statue of liberty was unveiled by the leader of the paity. Mr T. C. A. Hislop, who is also Mayoi of Wellington, to a crowded audience which was not wholly composed of supporters of the new party, but who, it must be said, gave the speaker a most courteous and attentive healing. n dustrial Tramp” was at the meeting in a most unobtrusive position, but took m-eat interest in the matter contained in the address, which was punctuated at intervals by applause of a not too enthusiastic character, which did not embarras the speaker by the length of time for which it was sustained. Mi • Hislop, whom I have known for some years in municipal matters, is a perfect o-entleman; his diction is exact in every respect, but his address, lasting over" two hours, was wearying to the. average,listener. It was not served up attractively, and it bristled with statistics and figures.

His policy consisted of fourteen planks, twelve of which, to use Mr. Savage’s words, “at first sight bear a striking resemblance to the policy of the Labour party.” I have not space this week to criticise the planks, but Mr. Savage’s words bring to my mind an old cartoon from “Punch” in the ’eighties, when Gladstone and Disraeli were the two opponents in British politics. It was a picture of the beach at an English watering , lace, and Disraeli was seen walking off with the wearing apparel of the G.0.M., who was up to his neck in the tide and exclaiming, “He stole my clothes whilq,. I was in bathing.” Disraeli had appealed to the country with a policy containing some advanced propo* ’s.