SCHEME 13 MEN

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23755, 29 September 1942, Page 6

SCHEME 13 MEN

* COUNCIL TO DISPENSE WITH SERVICES

“UNABLE TO DO DAY’S WORK ” Complaints that the few Scheme No. 13 workers now available to the council were, because of disability or otherwise, unable to do a fair day’s work for their pay were made at a meeting of the Christchurch City Council last evening. After a fairly full debate the council confirmed the action of the works and reserves committee in deciding to dispense with all Scheme No. 13 labour from last Saturday. This action was taken, the reserves committee reported, because the Labour Department refused to meet any payments above the ordinary labourer’s rate of pay or in respect of insurance cover after that date. About 90 men are affected by the decision of the council. The reserves committee reported to the council that a letter had been received from the District Manpower Officer asking the two committees to go into the matter of the rate of subsidy payable to Scheme No. 13 workers. He advised that, pending the matter being settled, the department could not meet any payments above labourer’s rates of pay or in respect of the insurance cover after September 26. Objection to Action Suggestion that the present time, when the labour shortage became more and more acute with the calling up of men for service, was not appropriate for dispensing with the Scheme 13 men, Cr. J. S. Barnett moved that the clause be referred back to the joint committees. There were many of these men who could give valuable service to the council and who might before long be employed as permanent cohncil workers, he said.

Cr. J. N. Clarke, chairman of the reserves committee, said the two committees had gone into the matter very thoroughly and had had the guidance of reports from the council’s officers. "I might tell you the Government has combed and combed the Scheme 13 men until it has left behind only the poor chaps who are unable to do a day’s work,” said Cr. Clarke. In the opinion of the council’s officers they had had an adverse effect on the council’s permanent workers.

“We came to the conclusion that the best thing to do was to wash up the whole outfit and ask the Government to look after them. They are absolutely unfit to do a day’s work,” said Cr. Clarke.

Cr. C. D. W. L. Sheppard said he was impressed by the opinions of the council’s officers. On a wet or threatening day ‘these men did not turn up at work, but were paid a full day’s wages. Thehe was a tendency for the council’s men to come down to the standard of the Scheme 13 men.

Disagreeing with Cr. Sheppard’s last statement, Cr. M. E. Lyons said that as the council’s officers indicated, it would be true to say that a leaven of Scheme 13 men among the council's workmen was not in the interests of efficiency. There had been a perceptible falling-off in the general standard of efficiency through the association of these men with the council’s men. No Right of Selection In fairness to.the Scheme 13 men it should be pointed out that if the council provided overcoats and leggings for them they also would be expected to go to work on wet days, said Cr. Lyons. Some time or other local bodies would have to decide that they would carry on the work on the old basis and not rely on Government help in this way. The committees believed it was better to spend the subsidy money on men chosen by the council as full-time employees. “If we are to spend the ratepayers’ money on subsidies, we should have the right of selecting the men and not have to take every man the Labour Department sends us,” said Cr. Lyons, who added that the terms insisted on by the department were definitely not acceptable to the council. Cr. H. E. Denton objected to the remarks of Cr. Clarke and Cr. Sheppard, and said they were a slur of).-the council’s own staff. “The council has got untold value out of Scheme 13 workers. There was no outcry against them when the council was getting thousands of pounds worth of wood cut," he said. There was no suggestion that a lot of good work had not been done in the past, said the Mayor (Mr. E. H. Andrews). But almost every man of value had been taken away by the Government and most of those left had some disability and should not be asked to do heavy work. If the Government wanted to pension these men It should do so and not expect the council to do it. He emphasised that any capable workman could get a fulltime job on the council’s staff. It seemed to have been overlooked by councillors, said Mr Andrews, that the No, 13 Scheme finished last Friday as far as the Government was concerned. If the council wished to carry on it would have to pay full wages, about £5 a week, at least until the matter had been decided by the Government. Cr. Barnett’s amendment was defeated and the committees’ action approved.