RELIEF WORKERS

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 94, 18 October 1934, Page 5

RELIEF WORKERS

CAMP AT NEW BRIGHTON

The weekly meeting of the Wellington Relief Workers' Union, was held on Tuesday evening. The meeting opened with, the members standing in silence for one minute as-a mark of respect to the late Mr. John Sandford who, prior to his illness was a most prominent and active member of the union.

The secretary reported an increasing interest in the organisation and stated that the policy of the union—standard rates of pay for all work and full sustenance according to the Act of 1930 where work cannot be provided—was being supported by organisations and sections of the public throughout New Zealand as ; indicated by recent Press reports. The delegates were of the opinion that every means should be utilised to bring pressure to bear upon the Government and the Unemployment Board to alleviate the present distress existing among the unemployed. A telegram- received from tne Canterbury Unemployed Workers' Association containing the information that 212 New Brighton married men had been refused any form of relief by tho Unemployment Board owing to their refusal to proceed to camp was read to the meeting. An appeal was made by tho Canterbury Unemployed Workers' Association for support and the telegram stated that a speaker representing their organisation would arrive in Wellington to place the position of tho New Brighton men before the public of Wellington at the protest meeting being organised by the W.R.W.U. for Sunday afternoon at the Basin Reserve.

It was reported by delegates that some discontent existed among tho sustenance men owing to tho fact that a change-over in the manner of paying out at the bureau necessitated their having to wait for nine days before receiving their next payments. This is considered by the union an extreme hardship to the men concerned.