AN EXAMINING BOARD

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 23, 27 July 1933, Page 13

AN EXAMINING BOARD

PROTEST FROM UNION

Strong exception to the conditions I under which examinations for motor mechanics are conducted by the New Zealand Motor Trade Association was expressed by a deputation representing the New Zealand Motor Trade Union which waited upon the Minister of Labour (the Hon. A. Hamilton) today. It was stated by the deputation that men who had passed the examination had received a promise 'that they would be paid an extra twopence per hour, but that the promise had not been observed. The Minister agreed to inquiro into ,tho matter. - The deputation was introduced by Mr. B. McKeen, M.P., who said the matter was of the utmost importance to the trade throughout the Dominion. There was no award in existence at present. Mr. A. Black said the, employers had set up an examination board, consisting of employers, and employees were expected to sit for a certificate.. Some of the employees had sat voluntarily, but in many cases they had been coerced into sitting. In effect, they were told that if they did not sit for the examination they would lose their employment. The employers had set up their own examining board. The Minister: Are thero no professional men on the board? Mr. Black: No. He added that had there been an award in existence there would; have been no need for the deputation, but owing to tho lack of an award—which the employers definitely refused to inako —it had been impossible to enforce the employers' offer of twopence an hour extra for men who secured an A certificate. Those who sat for the examination had to pay a fee of £1 Is, and if they were successful they had to pay another £1 Is for a certificate.1 This money went to the Motor Trade Association, which, it was estimated, had received something like £928 from the employees. In spite-of having received that money, the employers in a great many cases had declined to , pay the extra twopence to certificated men, and in some cases certificated men had actually been dismissed. Mr. Black suggested that the Government should take steps to prevent tho employers recoiving any more fees from the employees unless they were going to pay the extra twoponce. Ho urged that cither the extra twopence should be paid and made- retrospective or the fees collected by the association should be refunded. , Mr. G. T. Thurston, of Christchurch, gave general support to the case stated by Mr. Black. He said that the employers had absolutely refused to discuss the making of a new award; and in a letter to the Conciliation Commissioner had even suggested that conciliation proceedings would bo useless, as they were bound to prove abortive. What ho wanted to know was whether the employers had the right to say quite definitely that they would not mako an award. Mr. Hamilton asked why it was that men were still sitting for'the examination. Mr. Black: Because they aro coerced into doing so. We have several cases where coercion can be definitely proved, although tho employers will deny it. Mr. Hamilton: I am just wondering how I can interfere in this matter of the examination. It is a sort of voluntary arrangement in tho trade itself. Howover, if tho law is being broken in any way, then it would be a' matter for tho Government. I can look into that. _ Some discussion took place on the rights of the employers to decline to make an award, and Mr. Hamilton remarked with a smile that that would be a matter for Mr. McKeen and himself to discuss "in another place." The Minister said there had.been very little trouble, and his experience was that employers generally were willing to work under an award. Mr. McKeon: Tho employers are making a farce of the legislation. They bring forward proposals and say take them or leave them. There is no conciliation in that.