WORK DELAYED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 284, 1 December 1941, Page 8

WORK DELAYED

WOOL STORE PROBLEM DIFFICULTY WITH STAFF "The whole thing is shocking and brokers are exasperated," said Mr. F. G. Binney, chairman of the Auckland Woolbrokers' Association, with reference to a position which has arisen at the Parnell wool stores, where the preparation of the wool clip for the next Auckland appraisal, commencing on December 9, has been seriously retarded by the casual attitude of some of the workers. It was stated that men were continuously leaving their positions without giving notice. Mr. Binney stated that it was common to arrive in the morning and find that six or eight men had not. turned up. After drawing their weekly wages on Thursday afternoons, many did not attend on the Friday and Saturday. As a result, staffs were disorganised and there was a delay in preparing catalogues for the next appraisal. The position was the same in all the stores where some half a dozen men were leaving from day to day. Although the present season has been backward, better weather recently has encouraged shearing and there has been a consequent rush of wool into store. Brokers are doing their best with short staffs, but cannot hope to deal with all the wool in time. Except for certain technical men, staffs at the wool stores are not permanent.

Questioned concerning the position, the secretary of the Storemen's Union, Mr. W. Miller, said the work in wool stores was intermittent, and probably this was causing the men referred to to seek other employment. A number of the men were given fairly constant work in the stores from the beginning of the season onwards, but others received only intermittent work and probably these were the ones who, having been offered regular employment elsewhere, had changed over.