‘Scrub gang spent time playing cards’

Press, 31 May 1982, Page 2

‘Scrub gang spent time playing cards’

PA Hamilton A Hamilton labourer said he was dismissed from a Lands and Survey Department scrub-cutting gang because he threatened to expose its extended card games during work hours. He said the gang spent more time playing cards than working. “It is g complete waste of taxpayers’ money. I feel it’s wrong," Mr Ivan Rule said. Mr Rule was employed as a temporary Lands and Survey worker through the Labour Department in late March. On his second day, he was posted to the scrubcutting gang working near Ngaruawahia. Mr Rule estimated that in the two months he was on the gang the workers spent two-thirds of the time playing cards. Seven men made up the gang and all were temporary workers except the supervisor. During wet periods and official breaks, cards were often played in the work vans, but during work hours the bush was the scene of the card playing. It was a foolproof system because nobody could creep up on the gang without making a noise, he said. Mr Rule threatened to tell departmental heads in Hamilton what was going on. Recently; the supervisor received a warning about gambling at work. Last week, Mr Rule was dismissed by him. “I wasn’t playing the game the way they liked it,” he said. The department's senior ranger, Mr John Greenwood, said Mr Rule’s story was “interesting.” “We have investigated it and as far as I am concerned the fault lies with Mr Rule, and not the gang,” Mr Greenwood said. Mr Rule was dismissed because he was not a good worker, said Mr Greenwood. Mr Rule was just bitter at losing his job, he said. Mr Rule said that he had received no complaint about his work and had never taken a day off.