ASHLEY RIVER STRIKE

Northern Advocate, 9 January 1936, Page 5

ASHLEY RIVER STRIKE

UNEMPLOYED WORKERS REFUSE i OFFER j —— [Per Press Association. — Copyright,] CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. The men in the Ashley River relief work camps have not yet agreed to work on the terms offered. More than 200 men in the two camps are involved. The conditions under which they are employed are the usual co-operative piece work rates, and, for the department, it is claimed | that, any reasonably industrious man t can earn, at the offered rate, 12/- a day, and. that many good men could earn considerably more. The Minister of Public Works, the Hon, R. Semple, today, through the engineer-in-charge, offered increases in certain of the rates, amounting from 10 per cent to 15 per cent. This offer the men refused to accept. Spokesmen for the men have stated they desired work to be treated as ordinary public works, with payment at flat daily rates. They claim that the standard rates 1 on public works is not 12/- a day, which they are expected to earn, but 13/10 a day. j A meeting of unemployed workers in Christchurch, held last night, discussed the dispute and carried a resolution declaring opposition to “piece work, task work and cooperative contract work,” and support of the Government in its declared policy of establishing a minimum living wage and minimum, relief payments of a similar amount to apply in all departments. A motion suggesting a demand of 15/- a day, with other concessions, was defeated.