OTAHUHU RAILWAY WORKSHOPS

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 159, 2 April 1937, Page 13

OTAHUHU RAILWAY WORKSHOPS

Report of Dispute Denied GENERAL MANAGER’S STATEMENT Reference to the Press Association message from Auckland, published in “The Dominion” yesterday, reporting an alleged dispute between the Railways Department and the boilermakers employed at the Otahuhu Workshops, was made by the General Manager of Railways, Mr. G. H. Mackley. He stated that actually no dispute existed at any time during the past year between the department and the organisations representing the men’s interests. Conversations had certainly taken place between the secretary of the tradesmen’s association and the general manager regarding proposals that were under consideration for an adjustment in the staffing as it affected the boilermakers at Otahuhu Workshops, due to abnormal pressure of work and the shortage of skilled boilermakers generally existing throughout the country, he said. The position that was exercising the minds of the boilermakers was apparently their fear, as had been reported in the newspapers, quite wrongly, that labourers were to replace boilermakers on certain machines at Otahuhu, machines which in some other workshops of the department were regularly operated by machinists.

“These discussions between the general secretary of the tradesmen’s association and myself,” stated Mr. Mackley, “were of the frankest and most friendly tone, and it was mutually agreed at an interview on March 22 that matters would remain as they stood at the time pending discussion with their executive council, a meeting of which was normally due to take place on April 6. “As a result of a telegram received by Mr. Ingram, general secretary of the tradesmen’s association, the previous day, he saw me again yesterday morning regarding the matter, when I repeated the assurances already conveyed to him on March 22 that matters would remain as they stood at that time. This assurance was given to Mr. Ingram without any knowledge on my part that the men were contemplating anything in the nature of direct action. “The Press Association message did not emanate from official sources, and distorts the position unduly. The works manager at Otahuhu assures me that the deputation to him lasted approximately 10 minutes and any suggestion that it was a stop-work meeting in the ordinary sense of the word does not state the position correctly.” Mr. Mackley added that quite unnecessary importance and prominence had been given to the matter by unauthorised and interested parties not officially associated with the workmen’s organisations, whose executive officers repudiated the statements made and regretted the nature of the Press statements’, which undoubtedly magnified the position.

The following Press Association message from Auckland was published yesterday : —

“The dispute between boilermakers employed at the Otahuhu Railway Workshops and the Railways Department concerning the staffing of jobs, which has been at issue for several weeks, culminated on Wednesday morning in the men ceasing work and insisting upon the withdrawal of certain instructions. A deputation waited on the workshops management, and, after a break of about half an hour, the instructions were cancelled and the men resumed work. The differences between the men and the department arose over proposals to employ men classified as labourers in the handling of machines .and plant. This was resented by the boilermakers, who claimed that the proposed arrangements would be a breach of craft observance and ( tl“it the work should be carried out only by skilled tradesmen.”

DISTORTION OF FACTS’

Tradesmen’s Association’s Comment A denial that any dispute was involved in the action taken by the boilermakers employed at. the Otahuhu railway workshops was given yesterday bj’ the national president, Mr. E. J. Mulligan, and the general secretary, Mr. S. Ingram, in a statement issued on behalf of the Railway Tradesmen’s Association.

“This is referred to as a dispute,” they said, “whereas in actual fact no dispute exists. This association has been conferring with the department for several days with respect to the proposed alterations regarding the stalling in the workshops which it is claimed is causing considerable difficulty owing to shortage of skilled men required to perform the work therein. “The negotiations between the Minister, the General Manager and our association have been of the friendliest nature and the statement published in the Press that there is a dispute in existence is a distortion of the facts and the incident concerned has been magnified out of all proportion. Our relations with the Minister and the management are such that we have no fear of any drastic action being contemplated by any section of our members.

“The proposed rearrangement of the staff at Otahuhu was causing some concern to the boilermakers there and from information we have received it appears that a number of them left their work for a few minutes yesterday morning with a view to discussing the matter with the works manager, and the statement that the men were away from their work for half an hour is quite obviously an exaggeration of the time actually taken to deal with the matter. We have been kept constantly informed of all that has taken place at Otahuhu with respect to this, and the worst definition that could be placed upon it is that a technical breach had been committed by the boilermakers in forming such a large deputation to wait upon the works manager.

“We have complete confidence in the present Government, who have done so much in a very short period to improve the conditions of workers generally. The proposed alterations with respect to the staff are to be considered at a conference between the management and our national council, which has been arranged to take place next week, and we feel quite confident that a satisfactory solution will be arrived at.”