TIMBER INDUSTRY

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 March 1933, Page 2

TIMBER INDUSTRY

UNION THREATENS STRIKE ON MINIMUM WAGE DISPUTE There is a threatened strike of timber workers on the West Coast, owing to the failure of the millers, and the Union representatives to arrive at an agreement as to the minimum rate m pay to employees. The Union icpiesentatives require that the rate shall be 12/8 per day, but the mi lers are prepared to offer not. more than 11/6. The Te Kinga mill employees decided last night to finish won'- after to-day, failing the Union’s request being granted. The minimum wage is the sole cause of dispute. The other rates of pay are acceptable to the Union. For an eighthour day, they range from . IG/8 to a minimum of 13/-. The Union desires that any man, even though he be absolutely foreign to the work, or employed only as an unskilled labourer, be .paid not less than 12/8. Neither party is desirous of any interruption to the industry. It is recognised that but for the white pine cutting, the mills on the West Coast would be idle. With what is offering in the red pine trade, it would not pay a mill to turn a wheel. “This is the first occasion on which a timber strike has been threatened,” stated Mr. D. Tennent, when interviewed to-day. “The millers and the men, he added, had always worked in harmony, and the millers were fully recognisant of the good service which the men gave. It was not possible, however, to pay the minimum wage of 12/8 asked for. The mills were finding it extremely difficult to make ends meet . The men were being offered the best rates of pay possible, and the Union had agreed to all these rates with the exception of the minimum wages.

Although it has been stated that the men at the Te Kinga mills will cease work to-night, the manager Mr Ryder, advised the “Star” that so far as the United Sawmilling Company (the owners) are concerned, the mills will work. MR TURLEY’S STATEMENT. Interviewed by a “Star” reporter, today, Messrs B. Topp (President), and F. L. Turley (secretary) of the Union, stated that a meeting was held at Te Kinga last night, when the mill employees decided that unless something was done, to bring about suitable rates of pay, with the employers, at Moana, the Te Kinga men would cease work as from to-night. The meeting -between employers and four representatives of the Union at Moana, followed, it being in the nature of an impromptu discussion. The representatives of both sides discussed the position from various points, but amicable terms could not be arranged. The Union representatives returned to Te Kinga, and reported ,that every effort had been made to bring about a settlement of the dispute, but without avail. The only possible solution, was to bring pressure to bear on the employers. The Te Kinga men, numbering between 40 to 45, then unanimously decided to cease work after to-day. The President, and the secretary visited other mills to-day, and furti»r developments are likely to take place, within the next 48 hours. “At a conference held in Greymouth this week,” stated Mr Turley, “the employees’ representatives suggested to the representatives of the employers that if they were prepared to recommend to the men to reduce the minimum wage to 12/- per day, would the employers be prepared to accept that. The suggestion was turned down. “Before the Government took off 10 per cent., the minimum rate of pay under the old award was 15/- per day. Then a further five per cent. Government reduction brought the pay to about 12/9. The Government itself did not see fit to reduce its lowest paid men, and in accepting the 15 per cent reduction, the timber workers have gone a long way, to meet the employers, by offering to accept 12/8 per day, as the minimum rate of pay. We consider the men are justified in putting up any stand possible, to bring about a settlement on that basis. “If the whole of the mills on the West Coast are idled for one week, it would mean that 600 men, earning on an average £3 10/-, would entail a loss in wages of £2,100, apart from the loss to the employers. “As a result of the Timber Workers’ Union contesting the award, when first cited by the employers in October last, the Union has saved the employees, from £7OOO to £BOOO in wages during that time. This money would not have been received by the men, had the proposed award of the employers been brought into operation in October. The employers wanted to reduce the minimum wage, in October, to 10/- per day, but as the result of tactics by the Union it was able to save the situation, until the end of last month.

“It is a fact that some employers to-day, wish to be in the position to say that they have always paid above the minimum wage, but they want the minimum to be lower than they actually intend to pay. That, is the class of employer, whom the Union looks at with a hell of a lot of suspicion. Wo are open at any time for a conference, with the employers, and will be pleased to meet them, and the sooner the better. We realise how serious this matter might prove to be. It might easily involve a lot of men, outside the industry, in the course of a few days.

“I would like to recall the fact that seven or eight years ago, this Union played an important part, when a nonunion ship came to Greymouth. Tho watersiders refused to load the vessel, and timber workers were brought in to load it. The Union promptly got to work, and prevented this. The outcome was that the ship left port, after about live days, without a cargo. The Union has every confidence in the watersiders and seamen adopting the same tactics to us, if asked to do so. Anyone can see how serious this matter will become if allowed to drift for a lew days,” concluded Mr Turley.