Minister Investigates City Building Industry

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28321, 5 July 1957, Page 10

Minister Investigates City Building Industry

An investigation into the building industry in Christchurch, claimed to be affected by a lack of sections for house buildings, is being made by the Minister of Housing (Mr D. J. Evre).

The findings of this investigation are awaited by the officers of the associated unions of the trgde. They will consider* the findings before they set a date and organise the proposed stopwork meeting .to examine the present position and decide what action is necessary to ensure full employment.

In the meantime another 30 carpenters have been dismissed from city jobs within the last two weeks, which brings the number of carpenters dismissed in the city because of lack of contracts to more than 60. “Could Be More”

“That is the figure I know of,” said the secretary of the Canterbury and Westland Carpenters’ Union (Mr F. L. Langley) yesterday. “There could be many more I do not know of.”

At its quarterly meeting the Canterbury and Westland Plasterers’ Union unanimously supported the proposal of the Car-

penters’ Union to hold a stopwork meeting to investigate the situation at present in the industry, and to determine its policy, Mr Langley said. “The executive of the Plumbers’ Union is holding a special meeting on Monday to consider a report on the situation,” he said.

Many carpenters had left the industry to seek employment in other trades, he said, and although more jobs were available on commercial work, as a result of two new contracts, a large number of the men dismissed were trained cottage builders. The Minister had said he would notify the union once his investigation was completed, said Mr Langley.