STRIKE AT AUCKLAND.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1269, 26 October 1911, Page 7

STRIKE AT AUCKLAND.

« . OVER 200 MEN STOP WORK, THEY OBJECT TO SUB-CONTRACTING (By Toleerauh.—Press Association.) Auckland, October 25. Two hundred and fifty lalrourers, skilled and unskilled, employed by the several contractors engaged in carrying out Iho various soctions of liio big dnihiago scheme for Auckland city and suburbs were called out by the Labourers' Union i Executivo yesterday afternoon in accordance with a decision arrived at to declare a general strike to emphasis) tho union's opposition to sub-contracting. r On all tho contracts day and night: shifts arc worked, and acting under instructions the men who assembled at 4 1 o'clock to start o]>erations on tho night t shift immediately put on their coats and left the jobs. t Every section of tho drainage scheme ia affected and this afternoon the union called out the men employed on the drainago works in progress at"Onchunga, making " an estimated total of 300 men on strike, s Tho whole trouble is duo to the intro- : duct ion of t'ho sub-contracting system in 3 carrying out the work.. Tho union is strongly opposed to tho system and is determined to mako a strenuous light for 1 the recognition of their demands that it ■ should not bo countenanced by either tho ; contractors or by Uio drainago lx>ard in . connection with any of the work on hand, or any work that may bo let' by con- , tract in the future. There is solely tho ' one principle at issue. ' A few days ago Mr. J. Moodic, who f has the contract' for tho section of drainr ago between Union Street and Cox's ; Creek, induced a party of six J men to sub-contract for a portion of driving work in Oliphant 3 Street. As soon as tho union officials - became aware of tho depnrturo from the l principle they desiro to seo established, . a meeting of tho executivo was hold to j consider tho position, and a largoly-at-tended meeting of tho workers was held . on Sunday morning. Tho parly ncccpt--1 ing tho contract were all members of tho union, and they explained that they had agreed to take tho work under a misapprehension of tho altitudo assumed by tho uuion. The sub-letting of this wort precipitated matters. Tho men this morning unanimously endorsed tho action taken by tho executive in declaring a strike, and expressed a determination to fight for tho principle at stako to the bitter end, Mr. R. Scrapie, organiser for,tho Now t Zealand Federation of Labour, is expected to arrivo in Auckland from Welj lington to-morrow morning to. assist in negotiating the case for tho labourers. 1 Mr. William Forrest, of tho firm of Forrest and Lovclt, one of the contractors affected, told a reporter that tho position of all the contractors with tho , exception of Mr. Moodio was identical. They were not sub-contracting, and so far as he was concerned lie had no intention of introducing the system, since dropping the idea somo threo months ago, when ho had a slight difficulty with (ho union. So far as the union's objection to sub-contracting was concerned, Mr. Forrest said the suggestion that the b system tended to sweating was all s "bunkum." Later. From further inquiries mndo to-night jt was learned that about two' hundred * and thirty men have struck in connection t with the drainago works. When asked to make a statement this evening, Mr. Moody, tho contractor, who introduced tho system, described the troublo (is "a storm in a teacup." Tho eo-oporativo workers, ho said, had decided that, rather than seo a large liodj; of men kept out of work, they would join tho strikers, and did so. 'This had released ' him from his contract with them, and ■ lie says that ho is now prepared to put r en ali his men at day work. "So far no ■_ I am concerned," he conclndcd, "tho grievance of tho uuion has therefore l>eon removed." ,