Union Secretary’s Reply On Hiring Of Painters

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31239, 10 December 1966, Page 16

Union Secretary’s Reply On Hiring Of Painters

If a master painter employed a man working with a painter’s tools of trade the union secretary by law must sign him up as a member of the union, the secretary of the Christchurch Painters’ Union (Mr A. F. Ross) said yesterday. Mr Ross was replying to views on painters’ apprenticeships given by the secretary of the Canterbury Guild of Master Painters, Decorators and Signwriters (Mr S. Falkingham), published in yesterday’s issue of “The Press.” “As to the painters’ union accepting any person into its ranks, I can only repeat what I have told masters’ guild representatives, including Mr Falkingham: that I have not a single person in the painters’ union who was not employed at the trade by a master painter, prior to me approaching him to join the union. “The remedy is in the hands of the masters. “The union does not have the right to hire and fire men, so how can we control the men the employers take on? But once they have been employed at our trade, it is our duty to see they become members of the union. “So obviously it is the guild’s house that should be put in order. “Mr Falkingham knows that the union is willing and ready to protect the system of apprenticeships any time; but we cannot do this on our own and any suggestions the guild’s representatives have so far made simply mean a reduction in wages for any nun who, though not time-served, has been working all bis life in our trade. “Before the Apprenticeship

Act, 1948, there were many good men working at the painting trade, who are still in the trade. “I intend to see that the rights of anyone working continuously at the trade for at least five years will be protected. “I must point out that I stated clearly in The Press’ the position, as it will be in a few years’ time. “Though I did not criticise the standard of work done by Christchurch master painters, as Mr Falkingham states in his article in ‘The Press,’ he knows, as do some hard-work-ing home owners, that there are instances in this city of high prices charged for inferior painting work. “So far, I have not read why there were only three candidates available for the first block course of this year. “The number of boys being trained is my main worry for the future of our craft. “No doubt the Master Painters’ Guild has assisted with the initiation of evening classes and awards to top apprentices; so has the Christchurch Painters’ Union, which also provides awards to these boys to encourage them in other ways. “Regarding the credits of time given to apprentices who pass trade exams, these were the direct result, in the reduced term of apprenticeship, of the struggle by union officials to maintain them in the four-year term. “Doubtless in view of Mr Falkingham’s statement that the masters’ guild is keener than ever to facilitate the training of boys in the fouryear term, we may expect the block courses to be increased or at least maintained at their present level. This is good.”