PUBLIC WORKS PLAN

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 140, 15 May 1936, Page 5

PUBLIC WORKS PLAN

_<g, £17,500,000 IN THREE YEARS INTENSIVE DEVELOPMENT POLICY The outline of an ambitiou s public works scheme, involving' the expenditure of £17,50 0,1100 spread over three years, was given in the House of Representatives, last evening, by the Minister of Public Works (Hon. R. Semple). Provision is made for a basic wage rate of 16s a day, a five day week of 40 hours, abolition of relief works, and better accommodation and holidays. The Minister al so presented the agreement recently completed between the P üblic Works Department and its employees.

VIGOROUS PROGRAMME

on a greater contribution from the petrol tax revenue. At present only about 4d of the 104 petrol tax is expended on roads. No increase in the present tax is proposed. “By means of this Bill the dictation of the Main Highways Board's policy will become a function of the Government through the Minister in charge j of the board. j CLASSIFICATION OF WORKERS. “When I assumed office . approxi- ; mately 12,000 men were employed, the majority of them being relief workers. The complement to-day is 16,000 men, and when the full programme is in active operation I anticipate consider- . ably increasing the number, even with ; the introduction of much more plant j than is now in use. The existing praj tice of men for public works being sent ' direct to the Public Works Department by the unemployment bureaus in different centres and without any regard) whatever to their fitness for their work or their capabilities will cease. In fact classification on existing jobs must be done. “Qualification for employment under the Public Works Department will be the ability of a man to do his job, and unless an applicant can measure mi in this regard lie will not be employed. Service will he demanded and there will he no room for the man who cannot do the job and who would be a burden on his mates. “The Public Works Department is not a place for a man who by reason of his physique is more capable of lighter types of employment and it will be our job to see that men are sorted out according to their ability to do the work for which they are best fitted.

laying down a policy. PLANNED EXPENDITURE

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, May 14. A statement covering the publi works policy of the Government wa made in the House of Representative by Hon. It. Semple, Minister of Pub lie Works. Mr Semple said: "A more vigorous public work programme is one of the main plank of tJie Government's policy. My in vestigations have indicated that in th< past there has been no particularly well-defined public works policy. It is only lair to the department that its officers shoidd know the Government's mind, and, further, it is only right that a policy involving the conn try in millions of pounds of expenditure should be along sound, well-de-fined and definite lines. My effort hae been to lay down such a policy. Since I assumed office as Minister of Public Works I have given much consideration to those works which, while being capable of absorbing large numbers ot men, will give the greatest and readiest return to the State, and I have endeavoured by personal inspections to familiarise myself with proposed works of this nature. EFFECT OF RELIEF WORK. ''On assuming office 1 found the conditions in the i J ublic Works Department to be not altogether satisfactory, although I do not blame the departmental "officers for this As a result of the relief, work system adopted by the late Government during the last few years the men employed by the department had not been given any inducement to work properly. Stoppages of work were occurring in many places and discontent existed on a great number of works. 1 found the department to be particularly depleted of effective and up-to-date plant. The institution of tlie relief work system had brought about a method of doing work by means of inadequate plant and the importance of a job seemed to be considered chiefly by its possibility of absorbing manual labour. In fact, since the stoppage of railway works some years ago the department had been steadily disposing of its plant and machinery. "The result to-day is that. before an energetic programme of public works can be initiated many thousands of pounds will have to be spent in the purchase of new and up-to-date machinery. We are at present mak-: ing a careful selection of the most ' modern and up-to-date machinery for construction work of all kinds so that the work will be done as speedily and efficiently as possible. lam determined to scrap such inadequate appliances as the wheelbarrow, handcart, etc. In other words, we are going to modernise the public works of this country. Certain tractors, locomu tives, compressors and graders of the latest type are already on order and others will follow. "The position then existing could not be tolerated, and I immediately took steps which have already resulted in some improvement from the point of view of both the administration and the workmen. Some of thea« step 3, as already announced, were thfc installation of new methods of doing the work on aerodromes and in some cases lifting contract rates (gangs previously ea-rnig on piecework rates 10s and lis per day are now in some cases earnig nearly" twice that amount); stopping the payment of 4s 6d per week rent for tents for married couples, increasing pay for Maoris from about. 7s Gd per day to the same rate as that for Europeans. giving relief workers on public works seven days' holiday at Christmas time on lull pay amounting to £25,000, giving workers pry for Labour Day whicn had been defied them, amounting to £2OOO or £SOOO. "The effect of these concessions is apparent in a better feeling on the works, and a more reasonable return for their earnigs is already beng received from the men and T am satisfied that a greater output of work has been the result. THE THREE-YEAR SCHEME. "It became apparent to me at an early date that tor the efficient functioning of a department of this nature a planned programme oi work over a period of years was essential. Only by such means could the maximum efficiency in administration and operation be achieved. I thereiore instructed my engineers to make a careful selection of all possib e works, taking them in their order of urgency and importance over, firstly, a three-year period, and, secondly, over a longer period.

r AGREEMENT WITH UNION. “1 have concluded an agreement with the New Zealand Workers’ 1 Union which will cover all em- •' ployees of the department. Under ' the new agreement of a five-day ! week of 40 hours is introduced on 1 I the Public Works of New Zealand > and it will consist of eight hours to 1 be worked on each day front Monday ; to Friday inclusive. The workmen will have Saturday free unless they 1 elect to work on Saturday morning I to make up time which lias been lose : | earlier in the week owing to wet weather. | “Practically all of the works which have. been carried out by the departj ment lor several years have been classiI lied as relief works, and the basic rates | of pay have been 12s per day for mari ried and 9s for single men. Under the new agreement all works will in future be classed as standard works and the basic rate of pay lor labourers will be : 16s per day and single men will receive the same rate of pay as married j men. Similar incieases are being granted to other classes of employees covered by the agreement. No distinction will be made between Natives and Europeans. CO-OPERATIVE CONTRACTS. “The present system of co-operative contracts is to be adopted as a principle. I am a believer m the co-opera- , Live contract system which has been ’ in operation on public works for over , 40 years. It encourages men to give of their best as they arc paid by results 1 and know that they will he paid what 1 they earn. The prices allowed for difj ferent classes of material and work . will he sufficient to enable men of ave- . rage ability working industriously to . earn the daily rates of wages provided ’• for in the agreement, and although I the average earnings may not exceed ( the standard wages it is expected that : good men will earn more than these r I wages. Workmen will he allowed to i I select their workmates. They will also I I be allowed to appoint their headman, r | subject to confirmation by the engin- [ I eer. This provision is necessary to eni sure that the best men available are | placed in charge of the parties, i “Two pays will be made eacli month : instead of the old system of monthly i pays, which was unsatisfactory, especi- - ally for manied men who accepted - country work and had to leave their i families at home. I “In the past workmen on what are ! known as full-time relief of unemploy--1 ment works have not been paid for 1 statutory holidays or for any annual ' leave. As mentioned earlier, all works : will in future be classed as standard 1 works and all employees with over two months’ service will he paid for seven 1 statutory holidays as they occur each ’ year. In addition, men with one year’s ' service will he paid for five days’ annual leave (one week’s pay) and those I with two years’ service or over will be _ paid for ten days’ annual leave (two week’s pay). i “Seriously injured workmen will be ! conveyed to the nearest doctor and hospital at the department’s expense. 1 This has not always been done in the , past and has caused hardship in many i instances. A vehicle suitable for use as ' an ambulance is to be kept on large ’ works, together with all necessary . equipment therefor, including stretchers, bedding, blankets, etc. Well--1 stocked first-aid outfits will also be kept in suitable positions on works.

‘‘Tiie programme already decided upon comprising the three-year ■ scheme will involve an ex pend it lire of approximately £l< ,000,000 and includes reading, bridging, irrigation, aerodrome construction, completion of certain railways river protection works, drainage schemes, sand dime reclamation, elimination of dangerous railway crossings, electric power works, and erection or public buildings. “A feature of this programme will be extensive activity m road me and bridging in backblock areas i,IKI lt "' ll I be niv endeavour to provide more reasonable access to all back country SetTiers In fact the provision which I propose for this year’s operations in this direction will be double the pio- ! vision of any previous year. TO TAKE OYER HIGHWAYS. “My visits of inspection tu various parts‘of the country have convinced me oi the necessity for the control of the main arterial reading system being under one administration, and I propose shortly to introduce a Bill which will give effect to this. “As a first step some 4000 miles of main highways, comprising the main traffic routes' only, will he placed under the sole control of the Mam Highways Board and administered as State highways. By this means it will be possible to bring about uniformity of construction, maintenance and control. “The Main Highways Board is at present preparing a planned programme of work covering a three-year period, and it is proposed to give the I board a certain definite income based

i EXTRA ACCOMMODATION. I “For some years past two men have had to share a tent, but in future each man will be provided with a tent to himself. Except wheie cookhouses are provided on works no accommodation for married men with their families lias been provided for several years, but under the new agreement specially-designed tent accommodation consisting of three rooms with a stove will be provided on works which will take more than 12 months to complete. A combined bathroom and washhouse with tubs, copper and a galvanised iron bath will be erected for each group of four married men's quarters. It is my intention that tent-or other accommodation provided on*the works shall be as comfortable as the conditions or circumstances permit. “Recreation halls, including :a room for use as a library, will lie erected on laigc works when considered desirable. I am strongly of the opinion that it is desirable that men who are in camps on construction works and therefore away from public or reference libraries should have an opportunity for study in their leisure hours, and it is my intention that libraries on construction works in addition to containing lighter reading should contain standard works! dealing with the different trades, ' works or structures on which the men 1 are engaged in order that their inter-

est in the work itself and a knowledge of the principles involved may be stimulated and that they may have also facilities for the study of world affairs, including social and monetary problems. It is my intention that committees of men shall be appointed to supervise the libraries and I shall be willing to assist with the purchase of suitable standard works. PREFERENCE TO UNIONISTS. “Preference to unionists is provided for in the agreement and all workmen employed on the construction works of £he department must join the New Zealand Workers’ Union with whom this agreement has been made. The only exception will be in the case of artisans who will not be required, to joiii the New Zealand Workers’ Union until they have been employed for two moil tbs if they already belong to a. trade union.

“Since accepting tbe portfolio of Public Works I have received numerous complaints and requests from individual workmen and committees of workmen. The new agreement makes special provision for the procedure to be adopted in making requests or settling disputes. The New Zealand Workers’ Union is to apnoint a representative on every work, iand all complaints or requests by workmen are to he made through him to the engineer or other officer in charge of the work. If the local engineer and union representative are unable to arrive at a. settlement each of them is to forward a separate statement to the district engineer. If the engineer is unable to effect a settlement the dispute is to be referred to the head offices of the Public Works Department and of the New Zealand Workers’ Union. The men are not to stop work while a dispute is under consideration, either locally or by the bead offices of the department and union, or by the Minister of Public Works. This will explain my stipulation that all workmen on construction works must belong to this one union.

“The agreement applies to workmen on construction works, but does not apply to those regularly employed on maintenance of existing works or services such as surfacemen on roads or highways, workmen engaged in the operation or maintenance of hydroelectric .or irrigation schemes, tradesmen or others employed on maintenance, etc., of buildings. Neither does it apply to workmen directly under tbe control of the Public Service Commissioner.

“Tbe agreement will operate as from June 1, 1936, and will remain in force for three years. The Minister, however, is entitled to alter the rates of pay at anv time if the Government should find it necessary. Further, the Minister has the right in the event of any of its terms being violated to cancel part or the whole of the agreement either in respect of a particular locality or of the whole of the Dominion. I have entered into this agreement on the understanding that the union will serve a dual purpose. It will be helpful to the workmen and to the department. and the union officials will cooperate with mvself and the department to-the fullest possible extent. I am satisfied that tbe executive of tbe union will act accordingly and now I that the workmen will have a decent wage and good working conditions I am confident that the Public Works Department will again become tbe competent and efficient constructional organisation it was before practically all of its undertakings were converted into relief of unemployment works with small rates of pay and other tinsat is factory conditions. “As I have stated on previous occasions in future there will be no room for the slacker or unsatisfactory workman on public works. Workmen should be able to earn a decent wage and will have good conditions and will be expected to give of their best, tbe object being to have a well-trained and efficient badv of men who will be a credit to themselves and to the State. “In conclusion, I admit that the proposals outlined are comprehensive, but our task and our effort are to , build New Zealand. Finance will he available for the creation of these as-j sets. We have men, we have engineering and administrative ability available, and with courage to go ahead I am convinced that by means of this development New Zealand will advance.” TERMS OF AGREEMENT. Tile agreement with public works employees mentioned by Mr Semple in the House will operate for three years from J une 1. The hourly rates of pay range from Is l.jd lor the loco clean er (according to age; to 2s lOd for a tunnel headman. The weekly rates range from £4 2s_ for a driver of one horse to To for drivers of a mechanical grader and steam roller driver, plus is '6d per day for getting up steam on the works. Where no camp accommodation is provided the workmen shall he paid an allowance of a penny per hour for time actually worked and must make their own arrangements for travelling to and from work, and no travelling time payment is provid-

ed. The working hours shall not exceed 40 per week and shall consist ol not more than eight hours per day,_ to he worked between 7.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on each day from Mondays to Friday inclusive, in all “wet” places six hours shall constitute a working day on Saturday, and the rate of pay will he time and a-third. No overtime is to be permitted by engineers if avoidable. If it is unavoidable the rate of payment will_.be time and a-half. Camp-shifting time will be paid for at current rates. The department will supply tools other than those usually provided by tradesmen and they will be issued on loan. A workman leaving the works from any cause, including dismissal, is entitled ‘on application to a leaving certificate from the engineer stating his reason for leaving, 'the certificate must be presented on application for re-employment if the workman wishes to have ‘his leave privileges preserved. If they wish, workman shall be granted ten minutes’ smokc-oh morning and alter noon.