DOMINION AWARD

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 176, 20 April 1940, Page 14

DOMINION AWARD

Wellington Fire Board’s Approval A proposal, postponed from the March meeting, came up again for consideration at yesterday’s meeting of the Wellington Fire Board. It was: “That the Wellington Fire Board favours proceedings being takpn toward a Dominion award for fire brigadesiuen; and the draft claims suggested for submission from the fire boards have had the consideration of this board and have the board's apnroval.” The secretary, Mr. H. 8. Fairchild, read a long letter from the secretary of the New Zealand Federation of Eire Brigades Industrial Union of Workers, Mr. L. Glover, objecting to the passing of such a resolution, and setting out various reasons in support of his attitude. He mentioned the difference in conditions which existed in the various towns and contended that the fire boards were not. sufficiently iiepresented on the Fire Boards Association; that control would be given to insurance companies; and that bv adopting a Dominion award the board would be delegating to the association pojser which the ratepayers had given the board. The chairman. Mr. S. S. Dean, said a lot of Mr. Glover’s points were fantastic, and that from the board’s point of view no appreciable headway had been made under the present system. The allegations that the control would 'be placed in the hands of insurance companies was an insult to the city council and Government representatives on the board. As to oilier points, it was understood (hat part-time men would not. be subject to awards, and he saw no ditlicult.v in brigade officers having their own union. The last board had favoured a Dominion award, and be hoped that the present one would. Mr. Glover (who is a member of the board as well as union secretary), said that practically every brigade differed as regards staff and equipment, and a Dominion award would take away the power from individual boards to deal with local matters, fie claimed that it was not wanted by the superintendent or the staff. He had never agreed to a Dominion award. The union might have before he became secretary and he had merely carried on, but when he looked into details he had come' to the conclusion that it would onlv lead to confusion and misunderstanding. He accused Mr. Dean of not having gone on with it after the conciliation council proceedings. “After you withdrew, we could not go on with it,” said Mr. Dean. The adoption of the proposal was then moved by Mr. Dean and seconded by Mr. Edgar, who said he thought the movement the best way of getting uniformity throughout the Dominion. Mr. Glover moved as an amendment that a committee of three be set up by the board to go into tlie basis of tlie proposals, to see what they agreed with and what they did not. and report to the board. Mr. T. Brimlie seconded the amendment pro forma, but said that be had it in mind that the union liad demanded a Dominion award.

The amendment was defeated, and the motion was carried. Mr. Glover being the onlv dissentient.