SUIT AGAINST UNION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21086, 21 January 1932, Page 11

SUIT AGAINST UNION.

BALANCE OF WAGES DUE. JUDGMENT FOR THE PLAINTIFF. A claim by Gustave Solomon, anion organiser, of Beach Haven, for £6l lis 6d as the balance of wages said to be due to him from the Auckland Builders, General and Other Labourers' Union of Workers was upheld by Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in a judgment, delivered in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. The amount claimed was for wages due up to the time of Solomon's resignation on July 18. Plaintiff had been organiser for seven years, and for some time up to January 24 last year he had been paid £4 15s a week. At that time the contributions were not sufficient to pay the wages and the president met the secretary and the organiser. They were agreed on the point that the two officers should collect what contributions they could from union workers each week and divide tha sum equally between them. That course, was followed for about 1 five months. On one week only did they obtain £4 each; once or twice they received less than £l. Plaintiff had stated he agreed to accept the position until, times improved, when it was agreed the union should pay the difference between what he actually received and his wages. That- was the sum sued for by Solomon, who had stated that he did not expect to obtain the amount' at present, but wanted to establish his legal right to the money. The president and the secretary denied, that such an arrangement was made, proceeded the magistrate, and stated thafi there was no promise to make up the deficiency. " I should have felt inclined to believe this and to have given judgment; against the plaintiff," Mr. Hunt commented, "were it not for two letters written by the secretary. One, on August 12, 1931, referring to the claim, stated 5 'I do not- think there will be any obstacle placed in the way of it appearing in tha balance-sheet at the end of September, 1931.' The second letter, dateti August 27, was written to the plaintiff's solicitors, and stated that.the committee of the union had been called together and it was i found that the union was prepared to pay the amount owing at the rate of £1 a month at present. If conditions improved the debt would be paid as soon as possible." Mr. Hunt said that, in face of the letters, he could not come to any other conclusion than that Solomon's version was correct. Judgment would be given for plaintiff for the amount claimed and costs.