Wet-time Pay Trouble On West Arm Job

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30608, 26 November 1964, Page 16

Wet-time Pay Trouble On West Arm Job

The local job committee of the New Zealand Workers’ Union on the Morrison-Downer-Fletcher access tunnel job at West Arm, Manapouri. had appealed to the Canterbury-Otago-South-land General Labourers’ Union for its help, said the Labourers’ Union secretary (Mr L. B. Swan) in Christchurch yesterday. The appeal for assistance, he said, bad been made although the Workers’ Union had won the job union coverage in a secret ballot

Mr Swan said he had received a letter from the West Arm local secretary of the Workers’ Union (Mr I. C. King), asking the Labourers’ Union for an interpretation

of its wet-time clause. “We here at West Arm, are not happy with this clause as interpreted by the company,” said Mr King’s letter. "Tunnellers are receiving wettime only while grilling.

I “Outside workers are receiving no allowance for (working in the rain. We (would be most grateful for your help in forwarding the I required information.” | Mr Swan said that the (Labourers’ Union, which had Host the secret ballot for the Job coverage, was delighted to provide the New Zealand (Workers’ Union with the information sought. Mr Swan, in his reply to Mr King, said: “Unfortunately I understand that the New Zealand Workers’ Union, in conjunction with the Federation of Labour, has made some other arrangements regarding wet-time, contrary to the wording of the general labourers’ award, under which the men are working.” Mr Swan said that if this was in fact what the Workers’ Union was doing in conjunction with the F.O.L. it was responsible for breaking down the conditions of the workers.