NO AWARD

Evening Star, Issue 20316, 26 October 1929, Page 30

NO AWARD

FORESTRY WORKERS REFUSED [Peb United Pbsss Amociatioh.] ROTOR October 25. A sitting of the Arbitration- Court was held at Rotorua to deal with the application of a section of the forestry workers for an award of the court Mr Justice Frazer presided, and associated with him were Messrs Schmitt and Monteith._ For the union Mr Cook contended' that the conditions were unsatisfactory, and the employers ha'd previously refused to meet them. Ho quoted figures to show the number of employees. Evidence wn* given regarding the conditions of the camps and the nature of the work' for the afforestation companies. Mr S. E. Wright contended that there was no real dispute. The case had been cited by the union with, the object of increasing its membership. Ho called evidence to support his contention that the camp conditions were satisfactory, and stressed the importance of the industry as a national asset and tho immense assistance it gave in relieving unemployment during the winter months. After half an hour’s retirement His Honour that a majority of tho court had decided that no award should be made for tho- reasons that no real dispute had been disclosed, the wages now paid exceeded the rates usually paid for this class of work, and all reasonable requests by the workers had been promptly met by tho companies.