Power Plant Work Worries Union
The New Zealand Workers’ Union was concerned by the announcement of the Minister of Electricity (Mr Shand) of the curtailment of expansion of the Waitaki basin power scheme, said the union’s secretary (Mr W. A. Dempster) yesterday.
This would gravely affect the livelihood of 1000 men involved in building hydro-elec-tric stations. These men had built a world-wide reputation on hydro-electric jobs. They would be lost overnight as their present jobs were nearing completion. At the same time the Government was bringing in large numbers of overseas workers such as 400 Italians for the Tongariro scheme, Mr Dempster said.
The whole issue would be discussed at the public meeting called by the union to be held at. Otematata at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Kirk) would give an address on the economic situation. He would be accompanied by the president of the Labour Party (Mr N. V. Douglas) and the Labour member for Timaru (Sir Basil Arthur). Mr Dempster said that those working on hydro-elec-tric construction projects today could clearly see that the harder and the quicker they worked, the sooner they would be on the dole.
The Government had promised that work would be found for the New Zealanders as their present construction jobs finished.
“Where and what the conditions are seem to be of vital importance,” said Mr Dempster. “We will ask the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Kirk) to find the answer to these questions in the House.” Mr Dempster said that in spite of the statement by the Commissioner of Works (Mr Lang), the Minister of Works (Mr Allen) and the Minister of Electricity (Mr Shand) that labour was not available in New Zealand to do tunnelling work, his union contended that New Zealand labour on construction works could be trained within two to three weeks to do the job. “New Zealand labour within the Workers’ Union ranks has enough experience to dig the tunnels out with a coal shovel,” said Mr Dempster.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31330, 29 March 1967, Page 3
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336Power Plant Work Worries Union Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31330, 29 March 1967, Page 3
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