Firemen On Floor On Union Mattresses

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29903, 17 August 1962, Page 10

Firemen On Floor On Union Mattresses

Eighteen firemen at the new Central Fire Station are sleeping on the floor on mattresses bought by the Christchurch Fire Brigadesmen’s Union. Their 18 fellow firemen, on alternate shifts, are sleeping in the same rooms on beds and mattresses bought by the Christchurch Metropolitan Fire Board.

The chairman of the fire Itoard. (Mr W. R. Campbell) had. no comment to make last night when questioned abotit this situation.

“A special meeting of the boaod will be held tomorrow,” Mr Campbell said. “I have nothing further to say at present.”

The secretary of the Christ church Fire Brigadesmen's Union <Mr G. G. Walker) also said he had no ■comment to make. “The union will file an appeal in the Arbitration Court on Monday against the decision that the fire board is not required to provide these firemen with a bed each.” Mr Walker said. "That is all I can say.” The peculiar sleeping arrangements in the new, £250,000 Central Fire Station in Kilmore street are the outcome of a four-montih dispute between the union and the board on the question whether firemen living offstatiion while off-duty at the new station are entitled to a bed each during the nights they are working on 24-hour shifts. The board has maintained that the new national fire brigades? award grants 24hour shiifts, instead of two days on and one off, in re-

turn for the firemen forgoing accommodation rights in this connexion. The board also maintains that the members of the union, by a national agreement, accepted the provision of one bed and mattress, with two sets of bedding, to every two firemen living off-station when not on alternate 24-hour shifts. The union has maintained throughout the argument that it has never been a party to such an agreement and that it is entitled to a bed for each man by custom and procedure. After threats of strike action and counter-threats of reduced wages, the parties met in conference without success. Representatives of the parties then met in a disputes comimttee last week, and the independent chairman, the Conciliation Commissioner in Christchurch (Mr S. W. Armstrong) gave the committee’s decision, after the parties could not agree. Mr Armstrong's decision, released on Saturday, was that the award did not require the fire board to provide separate beds "although the firemen had had separate beds for 50 years." The fire brigade moved to the new station on Tuesday and Wednesday.

On Wednesday evening, a deputation from the union attended the monthly meeting of the Canterbury district trades council of the Federation of Labour. The Federation of Labour supports the union’s action in the beds dispute although the New Zealand Fire Brigadesmen's Federation has not supported the union. The union, an autonomous one within the fire brigadesmen’s federation, is affiliated with the F.O.L. The fire brigademen's federation is not affiliated to the F.O.L. The 18 firemen on shift on Wednesday evening went to the new fire station and carried their mattresses up to their rooms. They put them on the floor alongside the beds provided by the fire board for them and their opposite numbers on alternate shifts.

The men maintain that the union mattresses. costing £lB5 in all, are more comfortable than the mattresses provided by the board.