LINESMEN ON STRIKE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18923, 11 February 1927, Page 14

LINESMEN ON STRIKE.

TROUBLE ON COAST. APPEAL TO POWER BOARD. •?fEtIAL TO THE tStSi." IiRLVMOI'TII. February I' l . Arising out of the strii<u( tlit* Givv Power Board's linesmen over the dismissal of :i member nf the stuff, ;i special meeting of the Hoard was held 11] is evening to deal with th•• mutter. Those present were: —Messrs .1. W. •.irrcnsliiile (chairman I.'. Teiiiun:. .1. O'Brien, I!. Duggan, •!. Mu!enre, W. •'layton. ;i 11 <1 A. Robinson. Alter :i short discussion it was revived, on the motion of Mr Robinson, that the meeting lie open to the Press. The chairman announced that the meeting was convened ou aeeount of a diflieulty that had arisen between the engineer and the linesmen. On Thursday morning last he had been advised by the engineer (Mr J. Lythgoe) that lie (Mr .Lythgoe) had dismissed an employee. Personally, lie (the chairman) had taken no action, as he considered that it was a matter between the engineer and the man. He had later received a letter signed by the linesmen, that unless the man wore reinstated they would take further action. lie advised the men to continue work until the Board met, but they ceased work. Mr Muleare stated that before the engineer gave his version of the mattor it av:is only i'.-iir that the in.-ni should be present. No Call for Debate. Mr Tennent stated that the engineer had informed hint of the trouble between himself and the man. lie did not wish to hear a debate between them on the question. Mr ltobinson expressed the opinion that the engineer had a light to sack a man without the necessity of a special meeting being called to discuss his action. Personally, if he (Mr Robinson) were in his position he would sack a man if it suited him. Mr Muleare: Then God help a man if vott were in power. Continuing, Mr Mnleare said that he objected to giving any officer absolute power. Since lie, Mr Muleare, had been a member of the Board he had seen liotliing but trouble. It was reeved, ou the motion of Mr Duggan, that three representatives of the linesmen be admitted to the meeting. Mr Tennent being the only dissentient. Messrs A. Tomkies, G. Winter, and T. R. Hepburn were then called into the meeting-room. Mr Tomkies stated that on Saturday morning Mr Lythgoe remonstrated with him and other men about his method of loading poles with a tractor. Mr Lythgoe called them "A pack of kids." He then used another rude remark. Tomkies retorted that the}' wero not a pack of horses, and Mr Lythgoe had discharged him. Tomkies said that he did not intend to take the sack, but Mr Lythgoe told liiui if lie came on the job again he would receive no payment. Another employee, George Winter, corroborated Tomkies's statement. He stated that Tomkies had not used any had words to the engineer. The engineer often'swore at the men. It was not what ho said, but the way lie said it that annoyed the men. After further discussion, in which some heated remarks were exchanged between Mr O'Brien and Mr Robinson, it was decided that another employee named Fisher, who was close to Tomkies and the engineer when the trouble took nlaee, be called in as a witness. Fisher said he heard what had trnnspjred. between the engineer and Tomkies when Tomkies was dismissed. He was not insolent or abusive. Engineer's Version. After further discussion the engineer gave his version of the matter. He stated that when he saw what Tomkies was doing he asked what he was doing it for. Tomkies replied: "Do you think we are a lot of horses?" He resented Tomkies's insolence and told him to get off the job. Tomkies refused to leave, and he told him lie would not be paid. Tomkies then called: "Do you hear that, boys? I'm ordered off the job." After a clash of words between the engineer and Tomkies the latter said: "I'm not in the habit of using bad language. I've worked for some hard men, but have never been ordered about by a man like Lythgoe." A representative of the rjiion named Hepburn said that the staff as a whole employed under Lythgoe wero dissatisfied. He stated that the instructions to cease work came from Christchurch, as the men had received no satisfaction from the Board. Certain clauses of the linesmen's award had been broken a few months after thev wero signed. Heated Argument Mr O'Brien criticised the manner in which the employees of the Board were being discharged. Some time ago a number of the Board's employees had done a contract job in record time, but Mr Robinson, a member of the Board, had advocated dispensing with their services. Mr Robinson: I did no such thing. Mr O'Brien: Don't put that stuff across me. Mr Robinson: Won't I? Air O'Brien: No, you're not clean enough, I won't take it from you. The chairman then called both members to order. After further prolonged discussion in which there were numerous heated exchanges, Mr O'Brien moved that the action of the engineer in asserting his authority over Tomkies in discharging him bo endorsed, and the Board recommended the engineer to reconsider his decision with regard to Tomkies' dismissal. The motion was seconded by Mr Muleare and carried unanimously. The resolution was announced to the men's representatives, who accepted it as satisfactory, and expressed their wilingness to resume work to-morrow morning. The meeting lasted for three hours.