MEN PROTEST

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 18, 21 July 1939, Page 11

MEN PROTEST

ECONOMY MEASURE

TRANSFER TO OTHER WORK

AUCKLAND HOUSING

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, July 20,

Approximately 350 out of 500 men employed on clearing, development, and masonry work, together with a few carpenters, are being dismissed by the State Housing Department in Auckland and are being offered work elsewhere, chiefly with the Public Works Department. The action is des&-ibed officially as an economy and reorganisa-; tion measure. . ; Already more than . 100 have been ' dismissed ,and the services of the remainder will be dispensed with during the next three or four weeks. . Strong dissatisfaction among the men at the Housing Department's action had its result in a stop-work meeting in the Trad js Hall this morning, when, from 8 till 11 o'clock, about 300 employee's discussed the position. One of the chief causes of complaint was that the work offered under the Public Works Department was at a distance from the city and at a rate lower than that which the men have been receiving. Eventually two delegates were appointed to interview the Prime Minister in Wellington with a view to hav-. ing the men retained in the Housing Department's employ. OPPORTUNITY OF TRANSFER. "The dismissals are being made con-, tingent on-the point that no man will be put off without opportunity of transferring to other work, chiefly concerned with the Public Works Department operations," said Mr. R. L. McPhail, head of the Housing Construction Department at Auckland, when commenting upon the question! Some time might elapse before all the proposed transfers were made, but in the meantime the men concerned would be retained by the Department. It was also hoped to find work for a limited number ,of .men through the efforts of the local placement officer. Mr. McPhail said that practically all the men concerned had been employed on clearing, preparing, and fencing house sites. So well had many of the sites been prepared in the past that the incoming tenants were able to start planting after a minimum of extra effort. Now it was intended to curtail this work and restrict the breaking-in of sections to bare essentials. Work for both married and single meA was being offered under the Public Works Department at Hobsonville, while it was proposed that mainly single men should be engaged on work under the same Department at Muriwai. Mr. McPhail admitted that payment under the Public Works Department was on a different basis to that under the Housing Construction Department, and was on a lower scale. Although Mr. McPhail ;.did not .make a point of it, it is understood that \he t Department is tightening control in an endeavour to reduce costs now met from its own funds, but which previously came from the Employment Promotion Fund. ~ A LOWER WAOE RETURN. Those who attended the stop-work meeting included a large number who! have already been dismissed. Apart! from a comparatively few members of the Stonemasons' Union, all belonged to the New Zealand Workers' Union. It was not, however, an official union meeting. From statements made it is apparent that many of the men will refuse to accept engagement on the Public Works Department jobs offering. Complaint was made that only 24 a week was being offered, whereas they have been receiving £4 17s 6d a week, including 3s 4d a week transport allowance. If they went to Hobsonville or Muriwai they would have to provide their own transport and food, and after deducting Social Security tax little would be left on which to live. For married men who would have to keep two homes going the position would be extremely difficult. It was stated that a certain amount of criticism was also levelled at the Government on account of allegedly excessive administrative costs within the Housing Construction Department. The delegates appointed to see Mr. Savage will proceed to Wellington immediately.