CHRISTCHURCH TRAMWAYS CONSTRUCTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12698, 28 October 1904, Page 6

CHRISTCHURCH TRAMWAYS CONSTRUCTION.

y THE QUESTION OP WAGES. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN. CORRESPONDENT.] Christchttrch, Thursday. There has been some talk lately about the wages being paid by the local company that is constructing the electric tramways. Interest in the subject has been rather strengthened by the fact that that strenuous Radical and upholder of the rightsi of the workingman, Mr. T. Taylor, M.H.K., is the leading spirit of the company. The matter came up. at a meeting of the Tramway Board, being introduced by a letter from the secretary of the Christchurch General Labourers', Union, who by direction of his union, called the attention of the Board to the fact that " the contractors for the construction of the tramway lines are not complying with the conditions of the specification in regard to the rate of wages paid to unskilled workmen. The ruling rate of wages for such work in the industrial district of Canterbury is not less than Is per hour, and they are paying far less, as a number of men up to the present are only receiving 7s per day of eight hours. Workmen who protested, on receiving their wages, that 8s per day of eight hours was the ruling rate in Canterbury, were told that they could take what they got or leave. As we consider this to be a great injustice to the workmen, who, through circumstances, are compelled to accept the wage offered by this company, and also injustice to the other contractors of Christchurch, who pay the full wage of Is per hour, we earnestly hope that your Board will see its way to try and force the contractors' to pay the full rate of wage, which is fair and just, and ruling in the district, and that at its earliest; opportunity." The Chairman said that the contractors stated that they were paying from 10|d to Is per hour; and that 10£ d was the rate being paid in Duncdin, Wellington, and Auckland for similar work, and also by the Government. The local officer of the Labour Department had informed him that the Department was giving the subject attention. No award had been given in the matter by the Arbitration Court, but an industrial agreement had been entered into by the union and the Builders and Contractors' Association, in which the wage was fixed at 8s per day, of eight hours. The Crown Solicitor had advised the Labour Department that section 3 of the Public Contracts Act was not applicable to the present case. The Department proposed to institute a friendly case, in order that a decision might be obtained.

The engineer said he had inspected the company's wages-book, and found that the wagrf paid were from 10£ dto Is per hour. About half the men were paid at the lower, and the other half at the higher rate. It was decided to await the result of the friendly case to be instituted by the Labour Department.