RAILWAY TRADESMEN

Grey River Argus, 23 March 1945, Page 2

RAILWAY TRADESMEN

GREYMOUTH BRANCH MEETING A meeting of the Greymouth Railway Tradesmen’s Association was held on Tuesday night, to hear an address by the General Secretary, Mr. T. F. Gebbie. ’ Commenting on the recent activities of the Tribunal he acquainted members with several points in regard to the delay of the Tribunal in reaching its decision. One of the main factors had been that in the original, setting up of the railwaymen’s case, great difficulty was experienced by the four separate organisations concerned in arriving at a degree of unanimity as to what policy they would lie down. Mr. Gebbie said that the decisions given by the Tribunal had several satisfactory features in that, with other things, they had gained lodging allowances for apprentices in the various trades. This, in itself, was a step forward from an economic point of view as it gave a greater opportunity fop the youth of working parents to continue or remain in the skilled workers’ class. Mr. Gebbie pointed out that the working class as a whole should do their utmost to strengthen the Labour movement by discontinuing to make the Government a chopping block for industrial disputes, and that they should strive? to get greater unanimity between Labour organisations. , , . , Speaking from a tradesman s point of view, he considered, with Dr. Sutch, that the Tribunal had not done justice to skilled workers and tradesmen, and that, no doubt was a matter that could be taken up again at a later date. .