GAS WORKERS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3129, 6 July 1917, Page 6

GAS WORKERS

GIVE NOTICE OF STRIKE MORE WAGES WANTED POSSIBLE CURTAILMENT OF GAS SUPPLY There is trouble at the Wellington Gas Company's works at Jlinunar which may affect tlic whole of the gas-cousuiuiiig public of the city. A number of the employees have given a fortnight's notice to strike unless increases in wages are granted, .and the directors of the company, iuN-iew of the increases already granted since the outbreak of war, have definitely refused to make any further advances. As the notice to strike expires on Sunday, there may be a falling-off in the quantity of gas manufactured, and consequently less for the consumers. In the meantime the company is advertising for men to fill the places of- the retort hands who subscribed to the strike notice. . '

History of the Trouble. The first demand was made on June J, when the men called attention lo tho fact that 'the agreement entered into in June, I'JIG, had almost terminated. The men asked what conditions tho company was prepared to make to retain their services,. in view of the higher cost of living and the harder conditions of work entailed by tho age of the retorts. .'Jo this letter the company replied, through tile works foreman, setting-out the wages already paid and increase granted to tho men. Until April, 1914, it was stated, the stokers were .paid, per shift of seven days, 10s. 9d. per day for leading and 10s. Cd. for ordinal? stoker. At this date the company voluntarily adopted the six-dav week, and at the same time increased the stokers' pay to lis. lid. and lis. Cd. per day for shifts of six days. The Jliramar gasworks, it was stated, were tho only works in New Zealand working on a'week of six days per man, and the introduction of this system by the company, solely for the benefit of its employees, appeared to have been a mistake, as since that time there had been a constant agitation for increased pay and decreased work. In March, IMG, tho stoker's, in common with other employees of tho company, received a war bonus, making their wages 12s. 7d. (leading hand) and 12s. 2d. (ordinary stokers).

Former Concessions. In June, 1916, trouble arose, the outcome of which was that the company,, to prevent the stoppage of .the gas supply of Wellington, had to accept the agreement now terminating. The wages paid to two representative men who had lost very tew, if any, shifts during the 49 weeks the agreement had run were as follow (including annual holidays when no work was done):—Leading stoker, 4'J weeks' wage, .£2lO 125.; 290 shifts, 14s. U.M. per shift; £i ss. lid. per week. Ordinary stoker, .£206 3s. Gd: for 49 weeks, 292 shifts, 14s. 1.4 d. per shift; £1 4s. 2d. per week. These figures included double pay for nine public holidays and six clays' leave on full pay, six more days being nearly due. For unskilled labour, the company contended, this rate of wages was exceptionally high; in fact, higher than most skilled tradesmen received. The figures worked out per shift at over 30 per cent, increase on pre-war rates. Two conditions to which attention was not called were: (1) That until 1915 there were no fire-cleaners employed, this work being done as part of the stokers' duties; (2) in addition, until February, 1916, the whole of this work was doup by two stokers, whereas there were now three stokers who did not touch the fires. In regard to other hands mentioned in the men's letter the .company stated- that pipe jumpers received the same rates per shift as stokers. ' At 12s. 2d. per shift fire cleaners were very well paid for tho work they did, moro especially. as for months they had been going slow, and it had been necessary to pay two extra men threo days per week to do their work.

Arbitration Court Suggested. "The position, therefore, is," states the general manager, "that the whole of tho retort-house hands are exceptionally well paid, even during war-time. The conditions are the best in v New Zealand, and in justice to my company and to the gasconsuming, public, 1 decline to consider any increase in either the present rates of pay or in the conditions of work. During tne period of the war I am prepared to continue working under the present agreement, and if the retort-house hands are not satisfied with the wages and conditions therein, they are at perfect liberty to appeal to the Arbitration Court."

The Men's Demands. On June 23 eighteen employees handed m tUeir iourreeii days' notice oi intention to leave the company's employment.

Un June 27 tho retort-house men presented detailed demands lor increases in wages, eased on the increased cost of living, wlucJi, they contended, could never come back to normal. Shift-work, it was urged, should be paid more than day work, as it involved extra meals having to be made ready at.all hours of night and day, also a man on shift lost a large amount of his natural rest. The demands were:—Stokers, 15s. (lead.ing) and lis. 6d. for shift of eight hours; work to be tour doubles or under; anytiiing over that amount to he termed "extra" and paid for at the rate of 2s. each. Breakdowns tie be paid for at the rate of time and a half, if causing retorts to be dropped on door, or breakdown of hydraulic gear when doors have to be lifteu by. hand; also one extra man to be supplied as usual on eacln shift; clog money to be increased to 3d. per shut per man; holidays, to be t:\rave days un full pay Tor twelve, months' stoking, over and anove all statutory holidays to be paid for at the rate of double time, i'or pipe-jumpers andpitciipans the wages asKed were the same, with a similar provision for breakdowns and holidays, and also double time for all Sunday work. With regard to fire-clean-ers, it was asked thac other suggestions bo given effect to in tho event ot a satisfactory working arrangement being arrived at; that the fire-cleaners bo relieved of the caie ol the ammonia plant, as very often a man was detained getting it in working order at the expense of. his fires, hence the charge of deliberate y introducing the go-slow policy; wages to be the same in proportion as granted to ordinary stokers, holidays to be at tlie same rate as for stokers. It was intimated that these terms were tho lowest the men could possibly accept. ~ . . j Tho demands were considered by n| meeting of directors of the company vestorday, and as a result the men are aeinjr advised that the increases sought cannot be granted. The recent increase in the price of gas, it is pointed out, has been more than absorbed by wages increases, tho added price of coal, and other changes.

Men's Present Wages. A statement of wages earned 'by the men who have given notice gives tno iollowing information, the average being stated with the number ot weeks worked -Beading stokers, 51 weeks, 'lyeragc fl 7s 3d.; 51, M 7s. Id.; 43, M <>s. 5d.; stokers, 52 weeks, average M 6s. mi.; H, 5 .5d. ; r,1,X- <)s 8,.; 43, M 3s. 2d.; Hi. JSi Ms. Id.; ll.il »• Stl.; pipe-jumpers, 51 weeks, Xa -». wi., 60 M Bs. lOd. (including some seven-day weeks in each case); nre-clc-anji's, o2 weeks, .El 13s. lid.; 18, iS ISs.Jd.SJB, .£3 Ms. 3d.; pitch-pan cleaner, 10 weeks, £3 17s. 7d.; pipe-jumping and stoking, 45 weeks, £\ 55.; relieving men, 15 weeks, JE3 19s. Gd.

Possible Restrictions. The company has now issued a warning to the public that the regularity ot the supply cannot be guaranteed alter bunday! Applications are also being invited from men willing to act as firemen and stokers on tho conditions' and at the pay fixed by the present agreement. In reply to an inquiry as to what lorm the curtailment would take, the management stated that the company could not differentiate between tho various users of gas for lighting, heating, or powersupply purposes. It would have to cut off the supply wholly within certain hours if such a course- were necessary. If discriminating restrictions were to bo made it would have to be done by the Government, which, recoEtly took power

under the AVnr for this purpose. The total number of men employed at the- Minimal- works is GO, of whom 18 hnvo given notice. The other employees are engineers, skilled tradesmen, yardmen, etc.