GAS DISPUTE SETTLED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17336, 6 December 1919, Page 10

GAS DISPUTE SETTLED.

INCREASED WAGES GRANTED. m s AGREEMENT BY COMMITTEE. i POSITION OF THE CONSUMER. INCREASE MUST BE PASSED ON. The possibility of the workers employed by the Auckland, Birkenhead, and Northcot* Gas Companies declaring a strike, on account of the non-settlement of their dispute over wages and general conditions, has now been removed, and at a sitting of the Labour Disputes Investigation Committee yesterday an agreement was reached on all the points then remaining at issue. The committee has been engaged on the dispute for several days. Many minor points were settled, but it appeared that a deadlock had been reached, principally in regard to wages. The union held a meeting on Thursday evening to consider the employers' latest proposals, and unanimously decided that if no agreement was reached by the committee yesterday, the case would be placed in the hands of the Federation of Labour, and the employers given seven days' notice of the men's intention to cease work. The committee met yesterday morning, when the union's decision was intimated to the members. An adjournment until the afternoon was agreed to, in order to allow the parties to consider the position. Upon resuming, the chairman, Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., stated that it was essential that an agreement should be reached. In view of the intimation given by the union regarding a strike, the next move was on the part of the companies. Attitude of the Compaay. Mr. J. Lowe, on behalf of the emplovers, said he would agree to the demand for £3 15s for the shop workmen. In regard to wages of machine men, stokers, water-gas operators, and boiler firemen, the following were the union's demands, and the offer made by the companies : Machine men, demand 15s 6d a ™ 'cj ffer 15s; stokers » 15s a shift, and 14s od; water-gas operators 15s, and V t° firemen 14 6d, and 13s 6d.' Air. Lowe said the wages asked for were equivalent to Is 10$ d an hour for the nigher paid men, and the class of labour was semi-sk-lled. The union was asking more than for fully skilled men, who had tools to provide, and who had served six years apprenticeship. The companies had no objection to giving these wages, but did not think consumers should have to pay such a high price for gas as was entaiVd by the wages demanded. But the pistol was at the heads of the companies and at the heads of the public. The consumers were being held to ransom by a section of the workers. The alternative on the companies part was serious. It was to cut off the gas supply to the city and suburbs, and that eventuality could not be regarded with any degree of complacency. No "War Profits" Earned.

Therefore, under protest, we are willing to agree to the union's demands for these workers," said Mr. Lowe. "In the gas industry the chief concern of the managers and engineers is to reduce the cost of gas to the public to a minimum There is nothing in the way of wax profits earned in the industry, and the increases in wages granted over the pre-war rates are considerably above the increases in the cost of living. "The companies have no funds out of which to take these increases," continued *Ti r c We " " The incr eases involved ±.10,000 a year, and the only alternative is to pass the advances on to the consumers. 'It is really a matter for the public, and not for the companies. The only reason I have opposed the extravagant claims is that"l am unwilling to add to the cost of living, and to place the gasworkers in the privileged position of receiving more for their labour than they would receive in any other occupation." Mr. J. Clark, secretary to the union, said that Mr. Lowe had omitted to mention that the demands were lower than the rates paid in other parts of the Dominion. The Auckland demand was 15s, as against 15s lid paid in Wellington, 15s in Palmerston North, 17s 9d in Masterton, 15s in Wanganui, and 13s at Petone, where a six-hour shift only was worked. Mr._ Lowe said the rate in Melbourne was 13s, and the cost of living in that city was much higher than in Auckland. Mr. Clark said the workers in Christchurch were paid a smaller sum, but the award would expire shortly. Agreement' on Other Points. Referring to wages for boiler firemen, coke crushers, and all others, the chairman said the rate asked for by the union, namely, 14s 6d a shift, as against the companies offer .of 13s 6d, was more than the wage paid to first-class engine-drivers. After a short conference the representatives of the union announced that they were willing to accept 14s as a flat rate. Mr. Lowe intimated that this would be acceptable to the companies. , In regard to the wages for labourers, the chairman said the companies had offered Is 7d an hour, as against the demand for Is Bd. He suggested a compromise, as follows That where tlw full time of 47 hours was worked the labourers be paid for 48 hours in the event of less than 47 .hours being worked the labourers be paid for the actual time-worked at the rate of Is 7d. This was agreed to. Regarding men in charge of gangs of labourers, it was agreed that gangs should consist of not less than eight men, and that the gangers be paid at the rate of Is 9d an hour. The union demanded an extra 2d an hour for labourers employed in mounting or dismantling retort beds, cleaning out condensers, splicing ropes, washers and scrubbers, or working on coal in the yard pit. It was decided that the clause relating to the payment to labourers working in wet places be inserted. The number of minor points were discussed and agreements reached. It was apre'ed that so far as wages are concerned the award should come into operation as from last Thursday, December 4, and continue in force for 18 months, and in respect to the altered conditions necessitated by the new agreement that they shall come into operation on Januarv 7, 1920. »«u«M:y Arrangements were made for the details of the agreement to be framed, and the committee adjourned until Monday afternoon.