THE GO-SLOW STRIKE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 22, 20 October 1917, Page 9

THE GO-SLOW STRIKE

HON. W. FRASER SPEAKS OUT

MEN DECLARE A TUNNEL "EACH" ■:

(OBJECT TO THEIR OVERSEER

Forjsorue weeks past there has been industrial trouble at ono of tho tunnels row ; being..driven on the route of the . North Auckland railway. -Apparently a crisis has .now been reached, for Mr. M'Conibs read.a^telegram'in tho House yesterday from a representative of tho men' to say that they were all leaving (he worts, and that they had deolared the tunnel "black.". Their statement Awasthat they w6uld not work under the .overseer, named Burnside, representing tho Department. The Hon. W. Praser: "The honourable gentleman .informs me that these men ; will .not work under what they consider intolerable conditions, aid/that they have ':deolare<l the.tunnel 'block.' 'liet them do bo,' and take the consequencos. (Hear, ■hear.) I am quite prepared to. tako the consequences." He had formerly tol-l the House the cause' of the.(rouble. It ■had arisen because>he men deliberately, adopted'a go-slow policy. In an adjoin-. . ing. tunnel, in'a similar class of work m eimilar Icountry, ■ tho average work for the month, waa-56 feet;.in the present ■tunnel honourable members, would hardly J believe that it was down to £4 feet. Because of this slow work a new overseer ■was sent up,, and when ho tried to speed \ip the work reasonably there was trouble. ' An engineer was sent up to investigate themerits of this dispute. The engineer reported that it was no usegoing on with the work at that speed, and- that the Minister should do one of two things.: he should shut up the tunnel, or go on with the work on the co-operative plan. The men had not been giving a fair days work for their pay., Ho thought that the Wtter way would bo to intimate to the men that the same slow rate of work conld not be allowed to. continue, and that he would have to revert to the cooperative system. Mr M'Combs: The men won t work under-it. . . . They will not work

under Burnside. ' Mr.- Fraser: I may tell tho House very distinctly that I am not going to have works that I am carrying on ru"n by the men. That can be understood once and for all. (Hear, hear.) . Mr. Nosworthy: Kre them out! Itr. Fraser: Oh, up. I want to give the men fair treatment, but they are not going to' ran" the works, and they are not-going to choose my officers. I think the rightthing is to go on. under the cooperative principle, nnd'-'f ihe men go on-they will get their fair wage for the work- they do. But if they do not like it no one will compel them lp' work. I ■happen to know that this little trouble is organised by a few amongst the men.