TAWA FLAT TUNNEL

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 56, 7 March 1930, Page 10

TAWA FLAT TUNNEL

A STOP-WORK MEETING

MINISTER TO BE APPROACHED

The conditions under which they were working were considered by tunnellers engaged on tho Tawa Flat railway deviation at a stop-work meeting held yesterday. As the result of the deliberations, it was decided that a deputation should endeavour to meet the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. E. A. Eansom) upon his return from the North next week and place the men's grievances before him. Work ceased at midnight on Wednesday, and was resumed at midnight 'asi night. The stoppage fo- 24 hours was made to enable the men of all tho shifts to attend. For some time past there have been negotiations between the men employed on the job and the Public Works Department in relation to' the terms of employment, and a conference by the parties was held on 14th February, when all matters concerning rates of pay and working conditions were fully discussed. On 22nd February a reply was received in writing from the Public Works Department in answer to the men's demands, and it was this reply that resulted in the stop-work meeting being called. To a "Post" reporter to-day Mr. A. Cook (secretary of tho New Zealand Workers' Union) said that the reply from the Department was considered by the men at a general meeting held last Sunday. In the opinion of the men, the reply was so unsatisfactory that they deemed it necessary to have a stop-work meeting to discuss the position. They considered it necessary to stop the job (the reply warranted stopping the job for 24 hours) so that a meeting could be held to consider what further action should be taken, lhe stop-work meeting took place yesterday, at Johnsonville, and was largely attended. The Department's reply was fully discussed, and it was decided to appoint a deputation to wait on the Minister of Public Works immediately arrangements could be made to sco him on his return to Wellington, and to resume'work in tho meantime. "We stopped at 12 o'clock on Wednesday night, and started at 12 o'clock last night," said Mr. Cook. "To safeguard against inconvenience caused by the water rising in the tunnel, the union, when calling the stop-work meeting, notified that all necessary men, such as pump-men and electricians, should continue working. It is not a strike. It was just a matter of convenience so that the whole of the men should attend; otherwise it would have been impossible for them to hav-e dono so. The meeting was ealled_ to get all the men. to discuss the situation. Our argument is th;.t tho Department's reply justified the action that the men took."