WORK STOPS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 68, 21 March 1931, Page 10

WORK STOPS

CAMPANILE PICKETED

THE CONTRACT EXPLAINED

Work on the Campanile foundations under the No. 5 scheme of the Unemployment Board, supervised by the City Council for tho Board of Trustees for the Carillon, was declared black yesterday afternoon, aud the majority of the men struck work at noon. Four men finished out the day, but work was not resumed to-day. It is understood that only two men came to work on the job this morning, and that it was decided not to start them. The job was heavily picketed. Fifty pickets were on the spot early in the day, and the number increased cousiderably during the morning. Tho shift working at the time of the strike was a two-day one. Another shift engaged by the Labour Department, consisting of four-day men, is scheduled to commence work on Monday and to work until Thursday. The Mayor (Mr. G. A. Troup) was undergoing medical treatment to-day. Tho Town Clerk (Mr. Norman) had no statement to make on tho position. | A statement made to-day by Mr. H. D. Bennett, a member of the Trustees' Board of the National Art Gallery and Museum and chairman of the Carillon Society, shows that the labour portion of the work for the excavations of tho Campanile, which is the subject of the present strike, was. never part of the contract, but was removed from it before it was signed. It is evident that a wrong impression has existed on this point. "I very much regret," said Mr. Bennett, "that the erection of the Campanile has been made the subject of a labour disturbance, and particularly because tie' alleged cause of the complaint has not been submitted to the authorities before the men were actually called out, because I know that under no circumstances would tho Board of Trustees have refused to meet any fair representation o: . a grievance, alleged or otherwise, by the workers. "The contract for the completed job called for £18,697, or £3697 more than the £15,000 promised by the Government for the framework. The question arose as to whether this money should be advanced by the Board of Trustees, and it was pointed out that they wanted all of their own resources to carry out the bigge» programme of the Museum and Art Gallery. Au undertaking was given in respect of this sum that if it was advanced by the board, a campaign should be conducted, when conditions improved, so that the fund might be reimbursed. "The Unemployment Board had previously offered to make a contribution to the work, but not in the form of a subsidy, as that was opposed to its constitution, but the board was propared to pay for labour, without limitations, on suitable work. The architects were immediately asked to state how much of this work was involved in pure labour at the excavations, and their reply was that this work would amount in value to between £300 and £400. The board therefore decided to take tho earthwork out of tho contract, which had not then been signed. The earthwork thus never formed part of the contract. The architects were definitely instructed by the board to arrange with tho contractor as to the amount he would allow off the figure quoted in his contract if the labour part was provided by the Unemployment Board, and the contract was not executed until this was arranged." "Everybody on the job has been stopped," said Mr. Butler to-day. "We aro waiting to see what action the Unemxiloyment Board is going to take. The whole matter could bo settled in ten minutes if the responsibility was accepted by the body concerned." The next sitting of the Unemployment Board is ou Tuesday, but it is not clear whether the board considers I itself concerned in the meantime.