ANOTHER STRIKE?

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1253, 9 October 1911, Page 6

ANOTHER STRIKE?

BRIGADE AND CITY COUNCIL.

MEN DISSATISFIED,

COUNCIL HURRIEDLY SUMMONED,

A hurriedly-summoned meeting of the City Council was held on Saturday morning, to consider an urgent state of.things which had arisen between the corporation and the fire brigadesmen, with regard to rates of pay. It was even rumoured that a strike was in tho air, and the hasty assembling of the council undoubtedly pointed to a serious situation.

Brielly, thero was submitted to tho council in September last a petition, signed by 27 fire brigadesmen, asserting that the Wellington rates of pay did not compare favourably with the scale of pay in certain other centres, and praying for a new scale on the following basis, the figures in parentheses being tho present wages :— Probationers, £2 2s. Gd. per week {£1 18s. 5d.); third-class firemen, .£2 ss. (,£2 Is. 5d.); second-class firemen, .£2 7s. Gd. (£2 3s. 9d.); first-class firemen, £2 10s. (M Gs. Id.); senior firemen, £2 15s. (£2 8s.); motormen, £2 12s. (=£2 7s. Gd). The petition also asked' for tlte payment of £2 12s. per week to firemen engaged in trades, and an annual increase of Is. per week to senior and first-class firemen, motormen, and firemen engaged at trades. Tho three station officers, receive £3 Os. "d„ £2 lis. 5d., and £2 12s. sd, per week respectively, The men asked for £3 a week, with an annual increase of Is. per week. The petitioners stated that they were satisfied with the prosent leavo and house allowance. They receive eleven hours' leave every six days, and have fourteen days' annual holiday on full pay. A rent* allowance of 7s. Gd. per week is paid to first-class firemen in lieu of quarters. • Tho Fire Brigade Committee considered the petition, and recommended to tho Gity Council last Thursday evening the following increases in the Fire. Brigade scale of salaries:—

Superintendent, .£350 to .£365 per annum ; deputy superintendent, .£2OO to .£210; senior station officer or foreman, .£3 Os. 7d. to £3 Is. per week; station officer (1), £2 Us. sd. to £2 165.; station officer (2), ,£2 12s. sd. to £2 lis.; senior firemen, .£2 Ss. to £2 10s.; first-class firemen, £2 Gs. Id. to £2 Bs.; .second-class firemen, <£2 3s. 9d. to £2 Gs.; third-class firemen, £2 Is. sd. to .£2 35.; probationers, £1 ISs. sd. to ,£2; motormen, =£2 7s. 6d. to £2 10s. The proposed increases amount to .£9l Bs. 2d., and tho recommendation was adopted. The above new scale did not apparently suit tho views of the men, and on Saturday fresh demands were submitted, and submitted in terms which, created necessity for an immediate meeting of tlio council, at which there were present: The Mayor (Mr. T. M. Wilford), and Councillors Atkinson, Hindmarsh, Godber, Fuller, Fletcher, Cohen, Cameron, Fitzgerald, Frost, M'Kenzie, Shirtcliffe, Smith, and Trevor. A deputation from the firo brigadesmen was received, men given an opportunity of stating their case.

In view of the circumstance that the meeting of the council, which was not open to the press, was of an informal nature—convened without due notice, as prescribed in tho standing orders—whatever decisions were arrived at were necessarily referred for ratification to the council at its next meeting. The position now is that the men are to meet a snb-committee of tho council at 10 a.m. on Wednesday next, when the wliole case for tho men will be reviewed.'