COG IN GREAT MACHINE.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 6 February 1936, Page 2

COG IN GREAT MACHINE.

MR. SEMPLE DEFENDS HIS UNION PROPOSALS. MILSON WORKERS AIR GRIEVANCES. “1 have been twitted by a tory newspaper with being a travelling agent for the establishment of Labour unions," declared Hon. R. Semple, Minister of Public Worhs, when referring in Palmerston North yesterday to his desire to see all public works employees joined up with the New Zealand Workers’ Union. "That statement is obviously absurd but I want to point out that the New Zealand Workers' Union will be an integral part of a great building machine and I can see that if we don’t have this organisation we will be faced with a multiplicity of unions. I won’t recognise any Communist organisation nor any militaristic organisation. I will only recognise this one comprehensive union through which the men can lodge their grievances if they have any and while those disputes are being dealt with the men must be going on with their work. There will bo no stop-work meetings. This union will not only protect the men and function in their interests but it will also render assistance; to the Government. Dissatisfied With Earnings.

Workers on Mil.son aerodrome sent a deputation to the Hon. R. .Semple, Minister of. Public Works, while he was in Palmerston North yesterday. They stated that they were not satisfied with their pay and could get no satisfaction from the engineer. There were 200 men employed there and while the highest hourly wage was 2s 2d, the lowest was Is 3d.

Mr Achcson, Public Works' engineer, said the average over the last period had been Ids Sd a day. This was admitted by the deputation which consisted of Messrs Terry and De Cloene, but it was pointed out by them that the last period had been a good one. Prior to that there had been a great deal of wet weather and it had mined since. On one occasion a gang could average 2s Gd an hour on the drains and at others only Is 3d. Mr De Cleene alleged that the engineer was afraid to Jet the men earn too much money Jest he get a rap over the knuckles for it.

Mr Smart (Palmerston North district engineer} said that was not the position at all.

Barrows Must Go,

Mr De Cleene drew attention to the trucks that were lying idle on the job while the men were kept to barrow work.

Mr J. Hodgens, M.P.: The men oifered to Jay the rails and sleepers in their own time without pay because they considered they could make more money by using them. They were not allowed to do so and the excuse that was given was that they would make too much money.

Hie Minister: Why weren’t the trucks used?

Mr Achcson; We hud, difficulty in getting sufficient rails. Further, up to the present the job has been done in a hotch-potch manner owing to the hangar work and it is only now that we are getting a clear run.

Mr Semple; Where it is possible to do away with the wheelbarrow please do so. Those are ray instructions. Answering the Minister, Mr Terry said that, taken as a whole, the men at Milson were all triers.

Replying to the Minister, Mr Acheson said he was still wanting more rails.

Too Absurd For Words,

Mr Semple; During the last three or four years we have been selling our rails for a mere song and now we want them. They are going to cost us twice as much. It is too absurd for words. A T o firm on God’s earth would run a business in that way. It makes me angry when I think of it and the politician who allowed that to go on ought to be soffi as well. He called it economy but it is absurd.”

The Minister was also definite that the men must not have their wages cut. To do such a thing only broke a man’s heart and undermined his el\icione,y. It led to malingering instead of working. Mr Semple then ontlinned his proposals .for a New Zealad Workers’ Union and detailed the channel through whic disputes would go. In the meantime the engineers would be as lenient as possible with the workers who must also display a spirit of tolerance.