NO SETTLEMENT MOVE IN DISPUTE OF CARPENTERS

Grey River Argus, 19 February 1949, Page 5

NO SETTLEMENT MOVE IN DISPUTE OF CARPENTERS

Auckland Building at Standstill

WELLINGTON, Feb. 18.

No progress towards the setting up oi me proposed tribunal to deal with the carpenters’ dispute over award conditions was made to-day. A special meeting of members of. the Wellington branch of the New . Zealand Carpenters’ and Joiners’ Union will be held on Wednesday evening, when a report on the dispute will be given by the national secretary, Mr R. Stanley. Position at Auckland AUCKLAND, Feb. IS Though it is believed that about 2000 - carpenters and joiners have been dismissed in Auckland, the Master Builders’ Association stated . today that the returns so far indicate that the number is between 120 U and 1500. Returns are still coming in. A mass meeting of union members will be held in rhe Town Hall on Tuesday morning, preceded by a meeting of job delegates on Monday morning. “This meeting,” a union official said to-day, “will set up machinery in preparation for a prolonged struggle.”

BASIC WAGE CLAIM The union is claiming a basic wage of £8 a week.

“'the go-slow policy has, in the main, been against the big builders, who dominate the Master Builders’ Association,” a union official said. “Only 130 employers made the decision to apply the general ‘lockout.’ but there are 900 builders in Auckland, many of whom pay up to JilO weekly on a 40-hour basis. Nevertheless, the other 770 builders have been forced into line and the carpenters who did not operate the go-slow have been dismissed because threats were made that merchants and suppliers would withhold future supplies of building materials.” SOME MEN AT WORK

An official of the Housing Construction Department in Auckland said that, while the employers had dismissed carpenters, work on State housing construction under contract was being continued by trainees, foremen labourers, and apprentices.

LOCK-OUT FUND The union is operating a registration bureau and receiving donations . to its “lock-out” fund. The issues will be explained to the wives of union members at a meeting early next week. The Master Builders’ Association said carpenters were at work to-day on a few jobs for very good reasons which had been accepted by the association, but only for to-day. It was known for certain that between 1200 and 1500 carpenters and joiners were dismissed. Two thousand men are unemployed. Carpentry trade trainees under a two years’ contract of service with the Rehabilitation Department are not involved in the dispute, though they are members of the Carpenters’ Union. There are 467 trainees in . Auckland, Whangarei, and Kaikohe. Of these, 249 are extension trainees (in their second year). They are building State houses at Tamaki, Bayswater, Birkenhead, Whangarei. and Kaikohe. The employers claim they have unanimity. 'the Government has not intervened. Both sides stand firm by their declarations of policy, while homeseekers and those awaiting State houses anxiously await the outcome. Employers are watching the trial of strength as closely as trade union organisations. Other employers’ organisations are supporting the master builders, and the more militant sections of the trades union movement are aligning themselves with the carpenters.