BUILDING TRADESMEN

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 June 1939, Page 7

BUILDING TRADESMEN

GENERAL STRIKE RUMOUR

DECISION ON WEDNESDAY

[PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

WELLINGTON, June 17

More than (i()0 carpenters, builders’ labourers, and .others connected with the building indiistry held a. meeting in 'the Wellington Town Hall this morning to discuss the position because of the stoppage of work by some classes of tradesmen on the State houses at Karori. The objections to the new award were discussed, and a resolution was carried calling a stopwork meeting of all building workers in the Wellington district for Wednesday morning. The meeting lasted for three hours and a-quarter, and when it concluded the following official statement was given by the union officials concerned - “Delegates who were elected to discuss the position with the Minister for Labour (Air. Webb) reported to the meeting on the outcome of the deputation. A resolution was then put for-' ward, and after a number of amendments had been ■ discussed the resolution was carried calling a stop-work meeting of all building workers on Wednesday morning to review the position in conjunction with the Federation of Labour. In the meantime the officials of the carpenters’ and labourers’ union's were to endeavour to arrange for discussions on the points at issue.”

Whatever the meeting on Wednesday decided, it was stated, would depend on what happened in the meantime. The position at Karori remained unchanged. Air. AV. McLennan, of Auckland', had attended the meeting, and would report'to a? mass meeting of builders’ 'operatives in Auckland tomorrow morning. Several of the-workers who attended the meeting stated that the resolution carried , was for . a general strike from Wednesday morning. The first resolution put forward was for a strike, and an amendment was moved that the Karori workers should remain out and receive support from those remaining at- work. This amendment was defeated and a further amendment was moved and also defeateed. The resolution was then carried. ■ . When an official was asked if the resolution carried was for a. strike, he said that it was. but it had been decided that the stop-work meeting should be held. “It may come to a strike yet,” he s&id/i When the comment was made That ,a. stride was illegal. he are' not worried about that.”

AUCKLAND STATEMENT.

AUCKLAND, June 18.

Carpenters and’AWiiiers'in Auckland will hold a slopwork meeting in the Town Hall if it is available on Wednesday morning to protest against the general conditions of the award recently issued' by the Court. This decision was the a. resolution carried unanimously',.at a special meeting of the Aucklantr-union today, when Mr. J. B. McCormack presided over an at tendance,vb?''about 300

members. J’ Issuing a statement \tp-iljght, Mr. J. B. Kennerly, union, said that it was not expected that a strike would develop from the stopwork meeting. He said that the meeting would probably last some time, but the men would probably return to work in the afternoon. ' . • “There is no wish to embarass the Government in any way,” the official report stated, “but there is a unanimous feeling that a strong protest must be -made, and the only way this can be be brought to the . attention of the authorities and public is to hold a stop-work meeting. All tradesmen engaged in the building trade are concerned, as the carpenters’ award is usually quoted as the criterion and therefore they have all been invited to attend the protest meeting,” said the report. .

POSITION" UNCHANGED.

WELLINGTON, June 19

The ...position on the Government housing jobs, where carpenters and labourers ceased work on Thursday, was unchanged to-day. It is reported that other building tradesmen are not directly'concerned,in the dispute, and are working normally. Mr P. E. Warner, secretary of the Wellington Trades Council, said that a meeting of the Building Trades’ Executive aiid the Council Executive would be held' to-night, to consider the position at Karori, where the cessation of work is confined.

Meantime, arrangements are being continued for the stop-work meeting, on Wednesday.

COMPANY’S ULTIMATUM

WELLINGTON. June 19

Mr James Fletcher, managingdirector of Housing Construction, Limited, stated to-day that the position was not of -the company's seeking. On. June 14, a. representative of the Company met the secretary of the Carpenters’ and Labourers’ Union and the demands made were in connection with the supply of gum-boots, or, failing this, threepence per hour extra, as long as the men were working in damp places. The Company’s representative pointed out that the conditions were not different from those the carpenters had' always worked under in'Winter, and that full provision had been made in the re-' cent, award’ for the provision of gumboots, when the conditions warranted it, and the Company intended to stick to the award conditions. The men then decided to knock off work, and to hold a meeting. Mr. Fletcher said that the Company was posting notices on all the hoi ing contracts and in factories' operated by the Fletcher Constrm.'Wn Company. and at the Exhibition'{file, stating that, if the men employed by the Company absent themselves to attend the stop-work meeting on Wednesday morning, the job. will be . closed indefinitely, or until'.s,uch time as the Karori jobs are jfuHy.,manned, and an assurance is given that there will be no further stoppage ; of. work.