INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 22 February 1941, Page 4

INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES

STOPPAGES OF WORK LAST YEAR WAGE LOSS OVER £28,000 [Unit„<l •'Vess Association] Wellington, This Day. According to the latest Abstract of Statistics, 56 industrial disputes involving a stoppage oi work took place in New Zealand during 1940. This is 10 fewer than in 1939, but is above the average for the last 16 years and the fifth highest number of workers involved (10,399) was the fourth highest during that period. The approximate ! loss in wages, however, was below the average. 1 The loss of wages to the workers was £28,062. It is pointed out by the Government Statistician that these losses are for the actual period of the disputes, no allowances bcin£ made for the fact that the work not performed at the time may have been carried out

subsequently, either wholly or in part. The greatest number of disputes (17) occurred in shipping and cargo working. The number of workers concerned was 3145. Thirty-five firms were affected and the loss in wages was £7031. The coal mine industry, however, was probably the most seriously involved though the number of disputes (14) were fewer. Seventeen companies were concerned and 3444 workers were involved. The approximate loss in wages was £13,335. In 1939 the coal-mining industry headed the disputes with 29, 8072 workers being affected and the loss in wages totalled £25,596. Statistics for other major industries show that in meat-freezing works there were 12 stoppages involving 1469 workers, the loss in wages being £1063. In gold mining there were five disputes involving 630 men, and the wages lost totalled £4358. Since 1925 the number of disputes and the workers involved have been: 1925, 83 and 9905; 1926, 59 and 6264; 1927, 38 and 4476; 1928, ?9 and 9258; 1929, 47 and 7151; 1930, 38 and 5467; 1931. 24 and 6356; 1932, 23 and 9355; 1933, 15 and 3558; 1934, 24 and 3773; 1935. 12 and 2323; 1936. 43 and 7354; 1937. 52 and 11.411; 1938, 72 and 11.388; 1939. 66 and 16.082; 1940, 56 and 10.399. The estimated loss in wages during those periods was: £ 1925 49.149 1926 32.355 . 1927 11.819 1928 22.304 1929 26.940 1930 37.299 1931 44.544 1932 105.715 1933 59.334 1934 7.121 1935 15.266 1936 12.886 1937 32.129 1933 42.104 1939 60,754 1940 28,062