NO AGREEMENT

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 48, 19 November 1932, Page 13

NO AGREEMENT

Deadlock With City Linesmen CONCILIATION COUNCIL With the workers’ representatives admitting, that they Were “hide-bound” by a resolution which forbade them to depart from the terms of the existing award, no progress was made in the Conciliation Council yesterday toward a solution of the differences between the Wellington City Corporation and the linesmen employed by its electricity department. The proceedings consisted largely of a series of deadlocks on one point after another, and each point was set aside for further consideration by the parties before the sitting resumes on December 12. The Conciliation Commissioner, Mr. W. Newton, made a final comment at 4.55/p.m. “Well, gentlemen,” he said, “we seem to be in the same position as when we sat down at 10.30 this morning.” The City Corporation was represented by Mr. W.. J. Mountjoy, of the Wellington Employers’ Association, and Messrs. G. Lauchlan, J. C. Russell, and F. Good. The union was represented by Mr. H. E. Swindell, secretary, and Messrs. S. Gray, G. Hindmarsh, and J. Parkins.

Before consideration of the proposals and counter-proposals began, Mr. P. Butler, secretary of the Labourers’ Union, drew the council’s attention, by permission of the Commissioner, to two sub-clauses in a clause of the old award in which mention was made of labouring work. These clauses were as follow: —

“Labourers employed to do labouringwork in connection with the carrying out of the work of linesmen shall be paid the wages provided for general labourers in the General Labourers’ Award operating in the City of Wellington during the curency of this award. . “Any labourer employed overhead in running wires shall be paid as an assistant linesman, while so employed.” Mr. Butler said that the Labourers Union felt that these clauses should not be included in the new award. He suggested that it should include instead a clause setting out its scope, which would provide for the award to apply only to employees of the City Corporation and exclusive of those covered by any other award. Although the proposals and counterproposals did not differ on the subject of hours of work, they were not at one on the question of wages. The union proposed that the rates in the old .award should continue to apply. These were 2/2} an hour for linesmen, and 2/- an hour for linesmen’s assistants. The Corporation, on the other hand, suggested that the rate for linesmen, should be 2/1 an hour, and for linesmen’s assistants 1/9} an hour. “Over-Generous Offer.” Mr. Mount joy said that the electricity department had been rather overgenerous in its offer, inasmuch as it had decided to pay linesmen, who were only, after all, semi-skilled men, the same as skilled workers in the electrical trade. Nevertheless the department had decided to stick to its offer, although it was high compared with some of the rates recently agreed to in conciliation proceedings. “The employers here are not asking for a further 10 per cent! reduction on present rates; •' Mr. Mountjoy said. “I think you will admit that it is quite a reasonable offer for them to make, and I don’t think there should be any difficulty in your accepting it.” Mr. Swindell: Well you are an optimist ! Mr. Mountjoy: But you can’t get away from the fact that 1/10J under present conditions is a fair wage. Mr. Swindell: I don’t admit that. And I am surprised at the Wellington City Corporation bringing those skilled workers down below its track cleaners. After the luncheon adjournment, Mr. Mountjoy quoted figures to show that Mr. Swindell’s last statement was not correct. Ability to PayMr. Swindell said the workers considered that the present rates should continue to apply. Ability to pay was the criterion when a question of reduction in rates of pay arose. With a private employer there might be justification for it, but with a paying department there was none. The employers were asking married men with families to lire on £3/5/- a week. Moreover, the Corporation had agreed to pay its linesmen in the tramway department 1/111 an hour and assistant linesmen 1/10 an hour. Did it propose to pay more highly skilled men at lower rates? he asked.

Mr. Mountjoy said that the rest of the community had also to be considered. Everyone wanted prices of goods and services to come down, but how could rates come down if the wages of those employed in the department were kept at rates that were higher than they should be? In addition to that, ability to pay was not the only factor.