HARVEST LABOUR.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15767, 7 December 1916, Page 10

HARVEST LABOUR.

BASELESS" 15 UMOUBS

A statement regarding alleged ! ' action by the' City Council to pro- ( vide harvest labour was mad c at the £ general meeting of the Canterbury Gen- ! eral" labourers' Union on Tuesday ' night. According to the official ( it was stated at the meeting that t'hu | City Council was notifying its men that ' they would be required for haivest I work, and .the secretary was instructed g to make further enquiries. It was explained to a representative 4 or "The Press'' by the secretnrv that 5 it was understood that tho City Council fj employees were to be temporarily di.s- S charged, and it would be compulsory 3 for them to take up harvest woik- C Seen by a ••'Press'- reporter, -Mr A. J Dudley. Dobson, City Surveyor, stated J that no such suggestion as that report- C led above had been made to. the City £ Council, aitd it was purely imaginary. % The question had not even'been mooted # before the Council. The information 3 received at the meeting of the General C Labourers' Union was quite wrong, # and-no notification had been issued to 5 the Council's employees. One of the £ Council's employees had asked if he would be granted leave of absence in \ order, that he could go harvesting if he £ applied for it. Mr Dobson said that 3 if" : such 'an application were made it m would' no "doubt, granted. As aj t¥ general rule,, the Council slackened off | 2 work in the.summer months, and did j C not employ casuals except under very exceptional conditions. 'This year the same practice would be followed —a £ practice that had been followed in the j d) feast, and had arisen out of circumstances'not connected with war condi- j £ tions. There was absolutely no sug- j 3 gestion of compelling the Council's em- I % ployees to take on harvesting work. £