HYDRO WORKERS DISMISSED

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28020, 14 July 1956, Page 8

HYDRO WORKERS DISMISSED

PAYROLL REDUCED BY 390 MEN MANY UNDECIDED ON NEXT JOBS (From Our Own Reporter) ROXBURGH, July 13. More than half the men on the Roxburgh power project were paid off this afternoon. Their last wages and weekly bonuses were received by 390 men. Now about 250 men are left on the payroll of the contractors, Cubitts. Zschokke and Downer. Many of those paid off have still not decided on their next jobs. All 12-hour shifts and night shifts are stopped—except for a few men—and from Monday, only day work in eight-hour shifts, with some overtime, will be carried out. The Ministry of Works is offering jobs to some of the men paid off today, but most will have to make their own plans. “There can be no wide-scale immediate offer of jobs because of the sudden acceleration of the project to a redundancy stage so r.iuch sooner than expected,” said the president of the Roxburgh Hydro branch of the New Zealand Workers’ Union (Mr John Sylvester) in a statement to the men. “The promises of the Minister of Works (Mr W. S. Goosman) of jobs and transfers have not been met as yet by the Ministry, and while efforts are still being made to get a plan going, it is unlikely to help in time,” he said.

“No Further Help” Because the promises ipade to the union had not been fulfilled, the union could offer no further help, said Mr Sylvester. “Everything in our power has been done and is ready, but the Ministry of Works’ side is not,” he added.

In the meantime, negotiations are continuing, and the national vicepresident of the union (Mr W. Whitty) is in Roxburgh to keep the men in touch with the position. Under the agreement worked out between the men and the contractors, the bonus of £1 for each day stage VI is completed before August 20 will not be paid until the lake reaches the level of the spillway gates and water flows over the spillway block.

If the lake filling is delayed, men who have left Roxburgh will have that money forwarded to them. A Press Association report from Wellington reports that single men discharged by the contractors on completion of the Roxburgh hydro project are being offered employment with the Wellington City Council. They have been advised that limited accommodation is available.