STEEL SCAFFOLDING

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 5, 6 July 1939, Page 11

STEEL SCAFFOLDING

DISPUTE OVER PAY

COMMITTEE'S DECISION

The decision of Mr. W. Appleton, chairman of the disputes committee, consisting of Messrs. Andrew Fletcher and James Love (the contractors), with Messrs. Page and Kidd in attendance, and Messrs. L. Glover, president of the Labourers' Federation, and P. M. Butler, secretary of the General Labourers' Union, which was set up to deal with the dispute which arose over the payment of men engaged in erecting tubular steel structures in Playland, is that the men actually engaged in the erection of the tubular framework, or actually assisting in the provision of the material by hoists, slings, or otherwise, are entitled to the scaffolding rate of 2s 7d an hour, but that those employed on general work, and those who might be employed in unloading, transporting, or stacking the pipes, are not.entitled to any special allowance. The men had returned to work pending this decision.

The point at issue, says Mr. Appleton, was whether the framework for the amusement devices can be classified as ordinary building erection, or should come under the category of "scaffolding," of which the dictionary definitions are quoted.

"While admitting that under normal conditions a tubular steel building can be regarded as a permanent structure, and could not therefore come under the heading of 'scaffolding';—dozens of such buildings have been erected in England and other parts of the world, and no doubt it will become a form of building construction in this —it must be conceded that there are features in connection with the Exhi-j bition which. Mace the erections, iri my opinion, in a slightly different category. \ ■ ■"' !

"Judging by the evidence produced, it was apparent that in this work some special skill is necessary; and1 although some of the men engaged in the erection have been paid rates of pay in excess of the usual standard rate, both before and after,. the time occupied in erecting the tubular work; the fact remains that the foreman considers these men worthy of, more pay. Another point is that though the tubular steel scaffolding work is safer, and has not the same element of danger to workmen as wooden scaffolding, yet the erection itself must involve some element of danger, particularly when the men have to work at a height above the ground.

"It would appear from the eviT dence that during the period of construction of the tubular steel work a maximum number of 27 men was employed. At no time would it seem that more than seven to nine men were employed actually in construction and assisting h- the erection of the framework, and of these -seven to nine men it would appear from the records that no less than five .men were receiving 2s 7d an hour during the time they were engaged in this special work."