NEW ANGLE ON PROBLEM OF UNEMPLOYMENT

Northern Advocate, 19 June 1937, Page 6

NEW ANGLE ON PROBLEM OF UNEMPLOYMENT

(Per Press Association. Copyright.} HASTINGS, This Day. The problem of unemployment is being approached from a new angle by the Hawke’s Bay General Labourers’ Union which proposes to submit, as a union, a tender for a contract involving the construction of 500,000 cubic yards of levees on the Hawke’s Bay River Board’s river diversion scheme. The tender is conditional upon suitable arrangements being made for a deposit. The following scheme is suggested.— That a works committee should be in sole charge of the job and should consist of the president and general secretary of the union, the employment officer, a Public Works engineer, and three men selected from the job. An overseer should be appointed in charge, subject to control by the works committee. Award wages should be paid throughout, the union to receive half the progress payments for office expenses on completion of the work, as, after wages* and other charges have been met, it is suggested that the final payment should be at the rate of 2 per cent, to the union and the balance divided among the men on an equal basis in proportion to the time worked. If the union’s tender is successful, probably 100 Hastings men will be absorbed. '