THE FURNITURE TRADE DEADLOCK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12213, 7 March 1903, Page 3

THE FURNITURE TRADE DEADLOCK.

THE POSITION STILL UNCHANGED.

BOTH SIDES REMAINING FIRM. r The position in regard to the deadlock in the furniture manufacturing trade, caused by the action of the employers in dismissing or suspending the majority of their men, in consequence of the recent award of the Arbitration Court, remains practically unchanged. The employers have declared their intention of standing firm in the matter, and the men also state that they will not go back to work unless the conditions of the award are adhered to by the manufacturers. As an outcome of the frouble, however, a proposal to start a co-operative factory has been set on foot, and a mass meeting of workers to consider the whole question is to be held at the Grey-street firebell thi3 evening. The statement by Mr. Tregear, of the Labour Department, that the number of men concerned is not so great as represented, is denied by the men, who state chat fully 100 hands have been thrown out of work.

MEETING OF THE EMPLOYERS. * A well-attended meeting of the Employers' Union was held yesterday morning, when the whole position was discussed at some length. It was unanimously agreed to endorse the action taken by the various firms, and to stand by their decision, thus making the question a union one.

PROPOSED CO-OPERATIVE FACTORY.

At a meeting of unionists- connected with the furniture trade, held yesterday afternoon, the question of support to the members of the furniture trade now locked out was under consideration, and it was decided that a -company should be formed on the co-opera-tive principle, so as to provide employment ,to all members' of the union who are suspended from their employment. It was pointed out that, the local market could be easily supplied with furniture made under the conditions of the recent award, and yet leave a wide margin for distribution of profits to all concerned. Offers, of assistance have been received from the Trades Councils in the South, and also from the Auckland unions, and it was decided to accept these offers, so as to establish a local co-operative furniture factory. Messrs. A. Rosser and S. Tyson were empowered to arrange the preliminaries and select suitable premises at once.

STATEMENT OF THE MEN'S CASE.

THE QUESTION OF COMPETENCY.

ATTITUDE OF THE UNION.

A deputation consisting of 14- members of the United Furniture Trades' Union waited upon the editor of the Herald yesterday for the purpose of stating their views and having them placed before the public. Messrs. L. Hairs, C. W. Mason, P. Mackintosh, and A. Cordon acted as spokesmen, and the interview proceeded as follows : — Mr. Hairs, who was the principal speaker, said: " The chief point that we wish to bring before thb public is, that some of the statements already made have put an altogether wrong complexion on the dispute. .In the first place, it is said that only incom-' petent men have been discharged." " You mean those whom the employers deem incompetent to earn the full wage fixed under the award?"

Yes they would lead you to believe that all the competent men were kept on, but theAvliole of the Tonson Garlick Company's cabinetmakers have been discharged with the exception of two, who are working under an agreement which has not yet expired. One man who was discharged or suspended on Monday morning has been taken on again. Most of the men who have been suspended are men who were previously recognised as competent and who received the full wage then ruling. Their claim to competency is not limited to Auckland experience, as many of them have been working in America, England, Scotland, and all parts of Australia, as well as in the Southern cities of New Zealand, where they always received the maximum wage. The cost of living has gone up considerably, and the services which were previously worth ' Is Id an hour are now worth more than that amount. We asked for a higher wage, and the Court granted it, and now the whole of the men at one of the firms have been locked out on account of that. The Act says that this is illegal. The statement that the men were discharged on account of incompetency is not correct. The men elsewhere have been receiving the same wage as that fixed in the Auckland award. Is a higher standard of competency to bo set up in Auckland than elsewhere?" You say that the employers' action is illegal?" "Yes, fhe Act says that a lockout or a strike is illegal, but, of course, the employers may be trying to evade that. The employers have not informed us that they consider us incompetent. The first intimation we got of that was through the newspapers. When we were suspended at twelve o'clock on Saturday last we were told not to start again until further notice, but so far we have received 110 further information. With regard to the incompetent men who were receiving less than the minimum wage under the previous award, they have, since the lockout, been granted permits by our union to go back to work at a pro rata increase, but so far the firms have refused to allow them to start."

" What do the men propose to do?" It just rests with the men, as individuals. The men who previously received the full wag© considered themselves competent men, and if they go back they expect the full wage undar the new award. If the men had received notice that they arc considered incompetent they would know what to do, but they have not been told that; they have simply been suspended. The employers say that numerous applications for. work to fill the place of the men suspended have been received from Australia and the South/ but this can hardly be so. The trade is very brisk throughout the colony at present, although higher wages are ruling than those which have been previously paid in Auckland ; an advertisement for men from Christchurch has lately appeared in the Auckland papers, and similar advertisements have appeared in the Wellington and Dunedin' papers." " Do you think there is any chance of the employers being able to carry on their businesses by importing leady-made furniture?" _"I do now think it is possible. Most of the timber used in Australia 'is imported in the first place from New Zealand. It is all kauri that is used for what may be termed the medium or common, class of furniture— as sideboards, wardrobes,' chests, washingstands, and dressing-tables, as well as some cheap suites. -I do not think that under these circumstances, and with the 25 per cent, duty that the Australian, goods can be profitably imported. Breakages in transit have to be taken into account, and goods made up for export are generally of an inferior class." " Supposing the employers say they will not pay the wage fixed by the award?" "I do not see that they can do anything but pay the wage. There is always a demand for furniture, which has to be met. The men would be breaking the award if they-went back to work at less than the full wage, unless they signed signed themselves as incompetent; and this could not be done by any self-respecting man who .considers himself competent, and who was recognised as competent by his previous employers. The union is ready, to grant permits to men—-who consider themselves incompetent, and who are also regarded as such by tho union—to work for less than the full wage. The union, however, is not prepared to grant these permits indiscriminately; they require to be satisfied that a man s capabilities aye really below the standard before they will allow, him to work for the reduced wage. It has been asserted that some of the unionists have applied to.be reinstalled at'the old wage. So far as we know not one man who was discharged from the Tonson G-arlick Company has made such an application. _ The members of the union were unanimous in asking for the increased wage."

" When did the proposal to ask for a higher wage first come before the union?" • "The union decided before October last to ask for the higher wage in conformity .with rates always established in the South by awards of the Court. It was brought before a full meeting of the union." Mr. Mackintosh: "About a year ago the union applied to the masters for an increase to Is 2d an hour. I believe the Wellington award, providing £3 a week for .46 hours, was then 'already in force. So far as I know that request was not even considered by the employers. "At-all' events we got no reply." Mr. Mason : " I consider that the increased cost-of living is 'our strongest argument for the demand for the increased wage. I came from America, hoping to remain in New Zealand, but under the old conditions the price of - living so increased that' it was nearly impossible for men to live." " You will have seen that Mr. Tregear, of the Labour Department, states that the reports of the affair havd been greatly exaggerated. Is the -number of men affected as large as reported in th«- Heralp?" Mr. Hairs: " The number of men is at least 100, as stated from the first." _ "Have you any information as to the feeling of other unions in the matter?" --) r ; Mr. Mackintosh: ' " The secretary of • the Trades and ' Labour , Council has / received communications from tho South, stating that the. unions there are ready to support us." "Does that mean that they are willing to support you by means of contributions''" " Well, we take it to be tb»t." t:'feu: ■■ •• '-.v- V ' . 'i ' v !; . ■■ I

. " Would that be a breach of the law. It is equivalent to strike pay, is it not?" ■ '" We are not onv strike; we are locked out." ■ : : < r

Mr. Gordon: "Thb union has done nothing in the way of intimidating the men at all, any man who wants to go to work may do so. We have taken no measures to influence any of the men." V

Mr. Hairs: " When the new awards came into force in the South there was not the slightest objection 011 t.lv.e part of the employers to pay the increased rate. It was paid immediately, and hiss been paid ever since, although it made as much difference there as it does to the Auckland employers. The latter need not scruple about paying the rate under the awird, as tiiey have an advantage over Southern manufacturers in being so near to the supply of timber. I know for a fact that furniture is made in Auckland and sent to Christchurch. T.he rimu used in the South for the more common kinds of furniture is more difficult to work than kauri, and the best of this rimu even has to be imported from Taranaki, whilst the kauri, of course, comes from Auckland. They have a silver pine which they sometimes use in the South, but it is little better than kahikatea." MEETING OF WORKERS TO-NIGHT. A mass meeting of members of unions and workers will be held at th© Grey-street firebell at half-past eight this evening, for the purpose of protesting against the action of the Employers' Union. The meeting will be held under the aiuspices of the Auckland Trades and Labour Council, several members of which body will' speak. DUTY ON IMPORTED FURNITURE. It was stated in a Wellington telegram in yesterday's issue that the Government was considering a. suggestion that the duty on imported furniture should be raised from 25 to 35 per cent. The Cabinet, however, has no power to deal with this matter, it being one in which Parliament alone can take action. It is stated by one employer that the freight and other charges on imported furniture amount in many cases to no less than 40 per cent., which, with the present duty, makes a total of 65 per cent. . , 1 ACTION BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT. fBT TELEGRAPH.PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Friday. The secretary of the Labour Department has left for Auckland in connection with the cabinetmakers' lockout. > ACTION BY THE WELLINGTON TRADES COUNCIL. [by TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Friday. The matter of the furniture trade lockout in Auckland was brought before the Wellington Trades Council last night by a deputation from the Wellington Furniture Trade Union, on behalf of the Auckland union. The following motion was proposed: —" Having heard the deputation from the Wellington Furniture Trade Union with reference to the lockout in the furniture, trade in Auckland, this council accords the Auckland employees its sincere sympathy, and will grant them whatever assistance they may require in order to successfully combat the attempt of the employers to coerce them to work for an unfair rate of pay." An amendment was proposed to the 'effect that a deputation of six wait on the Minister for Labour and ask that the Government raise the duty on furniture to such an. extent as will prevent the Auckland employers from importing it in place of the locally-manufactured article. The amendment was lost on the voices, and the motion was carried by eight votes to seven. The council's executive was authorised to set up a deputation to co-operate with a Furniture Trade Union deputation to the Premier should such be deemed desirable.