GASWORKS DISPUTE

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 150, 28 June 1938, Page 13

GASWORKS DISPUTE

MEN WANT 44 HOURS ] COMPANY PREFERS 40 (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. ] Affecting sixty yardmen at the gas- , works, a dispute has arisen between ■ the men and the Christchurch Gas ( Company as to the number of hours , that shall be worked each week. The ( company claims that if the men work ■ a 44-hour week some will have to be j dismissed, because there will not be > enough work to go round, while the . men say that they are entitled under I their new award to a 44-hour week, with a corresponding increase in their , weekly pay. Under the terms of the new award the clause relating to yardmen's hours states that up to 44 hours may be worked. According to a statement made this morning by the secretary (Mr. W. E. Rogers), the company can work the men 40 hours a week under this clause. Under the old award, said Mr. Rogers, yardmen were paid £4 8s 2d for a week which averaged 42 hours —40 one week and 44 the next. The new award stipulated an hourly payment of 2s 4d, which on a 40-hour week meant a rise of 7s 2d to £4 13s 4d for two hours less work. Under a 44-hour week the men would receive £5 2s 8d and the men wanted this extra 10s Sd. If a 44-hour week were adopted, said Mr. Rogers, it would mean that six or more men would have to be dismissed. The engineer had decided that a 40-hour week was preferable to dismissing men. The men have already held meetings to discuss the position, and the possibility of a strike has been mentioned. A meeting will be held this afternoon to make a final decision. The company has requested the men to appoint three members as a disputes committee, but so far this has not been done. The secretary of the workers' union, Mr. A. E. Tongue, said he had no comment to make.