Labour-Only Jobs Opposed

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30794, 5 July 1965, Page 1

Labour-Only Jobs Opposed

Nearly 25 per cent of bricklaying and blocklaying in Christchurch today was being done by labour-only contracts, said the president of the Canterbury Master Bricklayers’ Association (Mr D. C. Anderson) yesterday.

The association, he said, had never agreed with labour-only contracts and supported the Federation of Labour's opposition to them. Labour-only broke down the whole structure of apprenticeship. said Mr Anderson.

Tradesmen working on a labour-only basis were not interested in training boys. They were too busy, earning as much as they could, to bother about any sidelines. Labour-only contracts, said Mr Anderson, also upset tendering. A man working on a labour-only basis said he wTtuld lay bricks at so much a thousand. This brought the chance of sub-standard work.

“These men are only interested in how quickly they can get a job done,” said Mr Anderson. “They never consider quality.”

Mr Anderson said that labour-only contracts were rife in the blocklaying business in Christchurch. For blocklaying they get 8d to lOd a block,” he said. “Those figures have been quoted by fellows who are laying blocks.” Mr Anderson said that labour-only work did not always pay off. Some men who had tried it later gave it up. “I have heard they earn up to £3O and £35 a week,” said Mr Anderson.

“If they have a job of 100 blocks in a long straight row, a strong back, and a thick head, you can really put the blocks down. “But if they have to put up scaffolding and build around window openings it slows them down a lot. So does wet weather, and so on. They don’t get holiday pay, and they have to insure themselves. And there is no loss of time.” Mr Anderson said he understood the bricklayers’ association view was backed by the Canterbury Sub-contractors' Association, which comprised plasterers, electricians, plumbers, drainlayers, painters, metal and shingle suppliers, as well as brick layers. “We frown on anybody who does labour-only work,” he said. “If action is taken by the Trades Hall in this regard, we will back them.”