DEEP CREEK WORK

Evening Star, Issue 21966, 28 February 1935, Page 16

DEEP CREEK WORK

CONTRACT SYSTEM CRITICISED VIEWS OF TRADES AND LABOUR COUNCIL A letter from the Otago Trades aud Labour Council asking the council to give serious consideration to the question of discontinuing the contract system in connection with the Deep Creek waterworks and having the work performed by day labour was received by the City Council last night. The letter read: — “ At the last meeting of my council it was reported by delegates who claimed first-hand knowledge of the subject that the men employed on contract work in connection with the Deep Creek waterworks are unable to make fair wages under the contract system employed by the Dunedin City Council, and I was instructed to request the City Council to be so kind as to give serious consideration to the question of discontinuing the contract system and of having the work performed by day labour. It was stated that workers, eager to obtain employment, but without the necessary knowledge and experience to enable them to estimate cori’ectly the value of the work or the time it would take to accomplish it, had successfully tendered for work at prices at which subsequently they found it impossible to complete the work. It was suggested that the tenderers, in order to be sure of obtaining the contracts, were encouraged by the system of competition to submit excessively low prices for the work, with the result that the work they performed was of little or no bene-, fit either to themselves or to the city. Cases were cited where men were said to have been forced to abandon their contracts because they could not make the jobs pay at the prices for which they had been taken, white others were quoted to show that parties were obliged to work almost from daylight till dark, sometimes for seven days a week, and then failing to make wages. It was said that the existence of these conditions were not to the advantage either of the city or the men concerned. My council was of opinion that, while the people of Dunedin would expect the Dunedin City Council to practise reasonable economy in the carrying out of its works, nevertheless they would not wish it to be performed by a method under which the workers empteyed at it could not earn a living. It was suggested that the best way for. the City Council to be sure of getting a good job completed under conditions wliicli would permit the workers employed thereon to earn a fair living would be for it to discontinue the contract system and have the work performed by day labour. I was accordingly directed to request the City Council to be good enough to abandon a system which has caused so much hardship, delay, and dissatisfaction generally in favour of one that will enable the council to have its work performed with the minimum of delay and at the same time allow the workers a decent living for their work.” “ I take it that the tetter should be referred to the Water Committee for a report,” said the mayor. Cr Marlow moved, and Cr Allen seconded, as suggested by the mayor. The motion was carried without discussion.