WORKERS’ UNION

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31115, 19 July 1966, Page 14

WORKERS’ UNION

Early Files Found In a general spring-clean-ing of the New Zealand Workers’ Union’s offices in the Trades Hall yesterday the national secretary (Mr W. A. Dempster) unearthed industrial history out of the cupboards. He discovered a copy of an old newspaper advertisement It read: “Situations Vacant - Youth of 17 to 18 years for Mount Cook Station. Must hate town life. Must weigh not less than 11 stone. Must stand cold like an Arctic hero. Must have plenty of common-sense; brains not necessary. Must be medically fit. T. D. Burnett, Perth Street, Timaru.” The year was about 1920. In the transfer of the national headquarters of the Workers’ Union from Wellington to Christchurch recently. Mr Dempster unearthed from the union’s archives, a copy of the Dominion Works and Construction Workers Agree ment, 1920. In those days, the rates of pay were £4 15s a week for a driver of two horses, and 5s a week less for the driver of one horse. Seven years later, at the start of the depression, both these rates had dropped by 16s a week. | Mr Dempster recalled that ! among labour stalwarts Bob I Semple was once a member of 'the New Zealand Workers’ Union. “He was billy boy on the Otira tunnel.” said Mr Demp ster. “He was on the contract from the West Coast side of the tunnel.”