STRIKE AT WARKWORTH

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15407, 16 September 1913, Page 7

STRIKE AT WARKWORTH

IItefIEMENT WORKERS IDLE. 10 ABOUT -'.*) AFFECTED. . j)EMANP FOR HIGHER FAY. dein.n.'l* «>'■''■ have '"" Wm i v leased the ~;,'. '"" >' v about £5000 a year iH ' ■ «Me wfus'ti bv \\ Portland Cement W*JTO ix i»» v * H Company, '"" '""'P'T'* "t the works at garkworth refuel (<• resume work yesterday mom:;- About 250 men will be Reeled by '• ' s'.i.kr. including 140 at the war y, lie I'ici .-inpl.-y.-d on the cement ¥Mi' L ~ a.nl tin' irrii on ih<» boats currying I e„afro.n HuW*. :■ Warkworlh. LWi Whi"i the ''"'" ■'''' : '" ''"'"" demands li- wnr 1 ' ll " M they wen; < a '-<-" ii: . v -'""idon-.! by the H directors. »'•■■ *•-■ "' w <> t0 arkworth ISS p-.iliv ifi.'i.. ■ :i and told the men that ma on fnu.i\ ■ ■ B they ere a,:..:,: , " i meet them in some R parfin.brs, :.;>:. birred some of the deH ; Rmi3 f The representatives H 0 the union r> I'lir-i that unless the whole if n j the demands were conceded they would H bave to !•.:.!■ Ihe i:utt,r h.wk to their m ncoole, a'»! ' " unlay (hero twmed II everv prosv •: •■! a strike. _ Pj Some of >'"' " : " n ' s demands are given by Ifi Mr G. Eili"t. ' hairuian of directors of the 8 company,** '• ■■ '«* ■■ - Rotary burners and g »ilier»."»!'- "-■''- l' ls a shift, want lis; If millers' a.-..-'..ins. who get 9s, want 10s; fH and carpen:-T.i' labourers, trackers, grea!tnrs. etc.. '•* i|U C(>t - )s and &6das a minimum. "■•" :'» fid all round. The discharging convevers v, nit lb t>d ; the rex k and coal-drier iin-;:ieii want 10s, instead of the & the company uttered in place of the rulSi ing rale of b'.s f»l ; firemen's trimmers want 9s, instead of Bs (xi; and workers engaged 03 firemen wai.t It's 6d, instead of 3s 6d. Quarry "ho are getting 9s a day ton advance of Is ou the minimum agreed upon), want 13*; and general labourers 1h 8 Bs, want. as. The cement and lime lagging gangs want Is a day increase. Cement-bagging gangs have been receiving 8s 6d for 300 bags, anl lime-hagtmr K ail ? s 8s 6d for 400 bags, vhkb can be rilled in about six hours. The tracking boy* at 6s 6d want a rise of Is. The deuiaJid for bagging cement in new 111 bags is 98 M for 585 bags; the old rate 111 i„ 8s 6d. Fur bagging cement in second- §§§ bend bags, the demand is 10s 6d for 385 Kf§ bags, an : nrr(i:»se of 2s. The directors mm recognised that this work deserves higher Hi payment t*an bagging in new bags, and H offered an increase of Is. !|| Fitters' assistants asked for a rise from if fe to 10s. The men engaged in cleaning If} boilers, eomomisers, etc., made certain SI iraiands, and tho directors were prepared ffla ': meet them to some, extent. ™jf The men also wanted a clause that in IS tie event c! an employee being dismissed I ti.o works manager should, on the deI mand of tho union, give his reasons in 1 Witting. lit • | "We were anxious for the men to regisH ter under the Arbitration Act," said Mr. g F. W. Wilson, manager of tho company, H to a Herald representative, "more es--8 pecially as another section of workers i in the same industry will shortly be before tl lie Arbitration Court, but the men replied HI that they did not want to havo anything ll to do with the Arbitration Conrt. The |||] lie Arbitration Court, but the men replied thai they did not want to have anything to do with the Arbitration Court. The last agreement, made undar the auspices ill of the Federation of Labour, expired in 11 August."

The company has been notified that ■numbers of the Waterside Workers' Union will not handle its cement.

ATnTTOE TAKEH BY MKH.

ACCOUNT OF NEGOTIATIONS.

[et TKWXIRjLPH.—

Warkworth, Monday.

In connection with the strike among the cement workers the men aro picketing the approaches to the works.

It is stated on their behalf that the agreement between the company and the '.Waxkworta Cement Workers' Union explied on August 15. Two days later the union's schedule of demands for a proposed new agreement was placed in the bands of tie works manager, Mr. T. H. Wilson, who informed tho secretary of the mown verUL'y that he had placed them iw.'oro the directors. A second schedule /of demands was sent on August 27 to tho Auckland manager, Mr. F. W. Wilson. A meeting of the workers was held on September 7, when the union resolved that it t!ie directors did not fix a date for a meetm or give an excuse for not doing so before Sunday, September 14, the membar; would cease work at midnight on that uitc. A3 a result the union was notified Mat two of the direc? Messrs. G. El•fct and Williams, would meet the anion delegates at Warkworth on Friday. Tho directors arrived at 3.40 p.m. and proceeded to the office of tho company. Half-aa-liour later the union's delegates were called in, tho directors refusing to agree to all the demands. The delegates bad a conference and again met tho directors at '•53 p.m., when the delegates announced that a meeting would be convened for Bandar to discuss the position. The moeting was duly held, being attended by fivesiitlis of tho membership, and it was finally decided by a largo majority to cease w oA at 4 p.m. that day and until such tune as the management would reconsider ! 's decision.

The men claim that the increasing cost of living, tho arduous and generally unpleasant nature of tho work, and tho comity's excellent financial position justify w«W in taking up such an attitude. The etriko ha a caused a good deal of w»ent in tho usually quiet town of »«tw»'.h, which is largely dependent 011 'be fforka or its welfare, and everyone ■Utoally wishes for a speedy termination « the trouble.

, no Work] :irp employing a few hands »o, wh„ v,th the engineering staff, will d wo.k for a while repairing and re**»g the machinery. h