MEN ON PUBLIC WORKS

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21813, 19 June 1936, Page 12

MEN ON PUBLIC WORKS

MR SEMPLE DEFENDS HIS POLICY “CALLOUS” CRITICISM RESENTED UNION BRANCH MAY LOSE NEW CONCESSIONS [From Our Parliamentary Reporter] WELLINGTON, June 18. The Minister for Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple) has taken up a strong attitude over criticism of the new Public Works Department agreement for men employed on Government jobs. Recently the Motueka branch of the New Zealand Workers’ Union carried resolutions condemning the agreement, and Mr Semple has drafted a vigorous reply to this criticism. His remarks have a general interest, for he reminds the branch of the power of the Minister to revoke an agreement where its terms are violated, and he actually calls on the men responsible for the criticism to show why the agreement should not be cancelled where it affects them.

One of the resolutions carried by the Motueka branch expressed complete lack of confidence in the general secretary of the union (Mr A. Cook), regarding his action in signing “such a document as Mr Semple’s so-called agreement, in view of the fact that the agreement is of no advantage to the workers, who were responsible for Mr Semple’s elevation to Ministerial rank.”

“I do not intend to allow such a resolution to go unchallenged, said the Minister, “seemg that the agreement without doubt is the best public works agreement in the British Empire, if not in the world. The minimum wage has been lifted from 9s to 16s for single men and from 12s to 16s for married men, with a 10 per cent, reduction in hours. Tins is the highest minimum wage ever paid on public works in Zealand or Australia. It is the I 1 ™ any Minister in any ruhb? Pa^ liament has introduced in hjM h set W th?V 4 1 °'] 10Ur week > wh i c h nas set the level for all other pmPloyees throughout the country

Other Concessions n/r 'tagreement also provides for Maori workers to be paid a wage equal to the pakeha’s wage. It also nm. works f for t t loSe employed °n public tor two years to receive a t Christmas time 14 days’ holiday on full pay and seven days on full pay for month s Vh °Th aVe been em Pi°yed tor 12 This is a new departure, buck concessions have never been given before. In addition, there are many other concessions, such as libraries in public works camps, better accommodation, better attention, and more liberal treatment in cases of accident, and a sincere endeavour is to be made to improve social life in the camps.

“The agreement has met with enthusiastic and wholehearted support all over the Dominion,” said Mr Semple. “I have also received from one end of Australia to the other letters congratulating me and the Government on the treatment we have meted out to men on public works. Needless to say, I was astonished to read such an uncharitable, unreasonable, and callous resolution. I cannot bring myself to believe that the rank and file of men working on the job know anything about this, although they are certainly responsible for allowing it to go out in their name. ‘‘However, the final clause in the agreement gives me the right to cancel all or part of it, as it applies to any locality, or to the whole of the Dominion, and although the terms of the agreement have not been violated by the Motueka branch, the branch certainly declares thgt it is of no value to workmen. In view of this fact, I am going to call on the men responsible for the writing of this resolution to show why the agreement should not be cancelled as affecting them. I do not wish to force an agreement on anybody, particularly when it is repugnant to them or detrimental to their interests. “Offensive and Untruthful” “I have endeavoured to try to improve the conditions on public works, and it is my intention to continue to do so. Every reasonable thinking person will realise that one cannot do everything in a few months, particularly when it comes to reorganising a national institution such as the Public Works Department. If the Motueka men, therefore, want to go back on to the old scale, they can do so. There are other resolutions that are offensive and untruthful, and I cannot imagine the state of mind of the individual responsible for drafting them. “I will give the branch 14 days to t>how reasons why its members should remain parties to an agreement which they have condemned and attempted to ridicule, or whether they will go back on to the old rates operating before the agreement came into existence. I am prepared to do all that one man can do to help the bona fide workers in my department to earn the maximum that they are physically able to do, but I am not going to tolerate the unjustifiable abuse of irresponsible individuals who seem to be determined to embarrass and obstruct the Government in its effort to play the game by the honest men, women, and children of this country.”