DISSATISFIED FIREMEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13926, 7 December 1908, Page 6

DISSATISFIED FIREMEN.

TROUBLE IN CHRISTCHURCH.

"WAGES, HOURS, AND CONDI-

TIONS."

[BY TELEGRArH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

CmuSTCWtnicH, Sunday., There is said to be a good deal of dissatisfaction amongst the members of the Christchureh Fire Brigade. Wages, hours, and conditions are not what the men feel they should be, and they believe, gays the Times, that the best course is to go to the public and ask it to arbitrate between them and the Fire Board. That,body has already been approached, but it lias not granted their requests, and they have now given publicity to their grievances. This action was endorsed at a meeting of the. permanent members of the brigade on Friday. The men say that their wages are quite insufficient. They are paid £1 18s s£d a week, and arc given quarters at the station, but not meals. They claim that this wage is the lowest in the whole of Australasia. It does not heir at all favourable comparison with the rates paid in other New Zealand cities. They are kept at the same wages as they start with for 12 months, and an extra £10 is the only increase they can look forward to. They are on duty for 24 hours, and on that basis they are paid at the rate of 2sd an hour. Previously they were allowed only one dav in eight on leave. The Board has given them one day in seven. They say they could earn more in eight hours at other work than they now oarn in 24 hours in the brigade. They applied to the Board for £2 10s a week. The Board replied that it. could not pay that rate, but made no attempt to moot the men in any way. The arrangement in regard to insurance is considered unsatisfactory. When the Board took over control the men were insured for £2 a week against accident, and for £100 against death or total disablement. Without consulting the men, the Board altered the arrangement. They are brought under the Employers' Liability Act, and are entitled to "only half their weekly wages, the same as ordinary employees. They claim that the insurance ought to be £2 a week under the Act. Insurance against death is for £400, but that doe* not counterbalance the reduction in the insurance against accident. One of the regulations is that thev must belong to a friendly society. The instalments range from Is to Is £d a week, which is a rather serious reduction on a weekly wage of £1 18s 54d. The Board charges private persons for guarantees that fires will be attended outside the city boundaries, but although this is extra work the men are paid nothing lor it. Some time ago the brigade was called out in connection with the flood at the Gas Company's works, to pump out the water. The men worked from two a.m. to 11 p.m., and in some cases from tour p.m. te midnight, but were paid noSffiS ?? irt b althouh the Board claimed £142 16s from the Gas Company No provision is given to them for drying their clothes. They claim that when thev return from a fire at night tea or coffee and refreshments should be supplied. There are not sufficient helmets, and the supply of boots also seems to be deficient. Complaint* are made generally that these matters are not attended to in a businessike manner, and the men wish to have all their grievance* threshed out before the new superintendent is appointed