CO-OPERATIVE LABOR

Evening Star, Issue 14526, 30 November 1910, Page 7

CO-OPERATIVE LABOR

WORKERS' GRIEVANCES. [SPECIAL TO THE STAR.] CHRISTCHURCH, November 30. Three stalwart men who had been employed on co-operative labor at the Cass, and who left their work on account of their dissatisfaction with the conditions, came into the ‘Lyttelton Times’ office and stated their grievances. They said that they had earned an average of only 3s 7d a day for eighteen days’ work, but when they complained of the smidl wage a remeasurement of tlie quantities they had dealt with was made, and the average was raised to 5s 8d a day. That rate was on the basis of 95yds for the month, but even tho re-measurement was unfair, as their own measurement made the total quantity 302vds. The gang consisted of five men. who put out eighteen two-yard trucks a day. They estimated that they ought tc have received 10s a day at least, instead of ss' Bd. In' consequence of tho dissatisfaction every member of the gang relinquished his work. One of tlie men stated that previously ho had never worked for less than 8s a* day. Another said that he had earned 9s a day on a ballast train, and as much as 12s a day bnshfeUing; and yet another stated that’his wages at potatodigging had been as high as 17s a day. The men also complained that laborers fiom Christchurch who had gone to the works with letters of recommendation from inlluential men in tho city had got “soil jobs.” to tho exclusion of other men just as deserving of consideration. They said that they knew nothing of an inquiry into the conditions referred to. In the ‘ Lyttelton Times’ yesterday it was reported that two gangs loft tho Cass on Monday because thev could not earn sufficient to pay their