GREY POWER BOARD

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 July 1943, Page 3

GREY POWER BOARD

— ■ •— MONTHLY MEETING. Mr. J. Mulcare presided over an attendance of the following members at a meeting of the Grey Electric Power Board last evening:—Messrs W. Fisher, W. E. Bring, J. B. Kent, W. H. Parfitt, J. Unwin, J. Smeaton, W. Clayton. Reports on a meeting of representatives of South Island Power Boards and Supply Authorities held at Christchurch in June were given by the Chairman, and Messrs Kent, i McClymont (Secretary) and Sinclair Trotter (Engineer) and the reports were received as satisfactory. The. Electric Power Boards’ and. Supply Authorities’ Association advised that the 1943 conference will be held at Napier from August 23 to August 26.—1 t was resolved, after some discussion, that the Chairman, Mr. Kent, the Engineer and the Secretary represent the Board. Mr. Smeaton dissenting. A motion by Mr. Smeaton that the Board be represented by the Chairman, the Engineer and the Secretary was noc seconded. It was decided to purchase a New Zealand Ensign, at a cost of about ! £6. ... The Finance Committee s report, embodying the following report from the Secretary was read and adopted:—The Power Fund Account balance is £12,102/19/11. This is necessarily large as the quarterly power bill of over £lO,OOO is due on 25th July. There is outstanding on account of ranges sold under the financial assistance scheme the sum oi £2 251/9/5. The total sum advanced under this heading since the scheme was inaugurated is £10,709/9/3. A comparison of revenue for Groups ‘A •and ‘C’ for a two-monthly period is as f0110w:—1942, £11,853/14/-; 1943, £13,361/0/6. The Engineer’s report, as follows, was read and adapted:—The outside staff has been engaged on general maintenance of overhead lines, consumers’ services and connecting new consumers. The pole type substation serving the upper group oi co-operative collieries has been rebuilt on a new site owing to a slip developing at the present site. The pole-type §ub-station at Baxter s Siding has been modified to a single Dole structure. A new sub-station being erected at Gladstone for sawmilling and general purpose supply. The maximum demand for the quarter ended 30 June was 5534 K.V.A. which is 400 K.V.A. in excess of any previous quarterly maximum demand. Units purchased for the quarter were 7,424.000.

STAFF WAGES. As a result of an application by a member of the staff for an increase in wages a sub-committee, comprising, the Chairman, the Secretary and the Engineer met members of the staff and discussed general conditions with them with a view to recommending removal of any anoma] es existing. The sub-committee repo ted on the conference and as a res'lit of the subsequent discussion it was decided to recommend an increase in the wages of two members of the outside staff by 10/- a week each: to agree to a suggestion that the mm be paid at 4.45 p.m., instead of 5 p.m., on pay days; to increase the meal allowance to 2/- from 1/6, rll the above for the outside staff. In fenned'or with other members of the staff decision was held over u itil the next meeting, Board members to consider a suggestion by the Chairman that a bonus of one or two weeks’ wages be paid at the end of the year, rather than actual increases in wages. It was stated that practically all members of the staff were being paid above the award rates. In the workers’ claims one of the principal contentions was that they

were prevented from securing more gainful employment by reason of their employment in an essential industry, while the outside workers laid considerable stress on the adverse climatic conditions under which they work. The Board refused to grant a request that the Board see that overcoats, leggings and gum boots be in good condition and sani-

tary when transferred from one worker to another, and also a claim that all time worked on all recognised holidays be paid at time and a half in addition, to the ordinary rates of pay. At present the men are paid at time and a half for all time worked on all recognised holidays in addition to the day’s pay.