STOP-WORK MEETINGS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21879, 15 August 1934, Page 14

STOP-WORK MEETINGS

NO PAY FOB TIME LOST MEN ON RELIEF SCHEMES CITY COUNCIL'S DECISION "It was made perfectly clear to the delegates that any time lost by the men in holding meetings during working hours would not ho paid for," said the Mayor, Mr. G. W. Hutchison, yesterday in commenting on the meeting Vhich he and the chairman of the City Council's Works Committee, Mr. H. P. Burton, had had that morning with delegates from the relief workers at the, Old Stone Jug and tho Western Springs motor camp. Mr. Hutchison said that the Unemployment Board would not refund to tho council money paid to the men for time lost through their own default and tho council had no money of its own for that purpose. Tho meeting with the delegates followed a protest by the men against'the decision of tho council to. deduct an amount from their pay for time lost on Monday morning, when . they stopped work to consider tho ban which had been placed on stop-work meetings. Yesterday's negotiations lasted for an hour and a-half and when the delegates returned to the Stone Jug there was another short meeting, after which work was resumed.

Discussing the matter later Mr. Burton said that the men had been given definitely to understand that no meetings would be countenanced in working hours, but that what they did in their own time was their own affair. It was also stated by Mr. W. Slaughter, officer in charge of unemployment in the Auckland district, that it had been strictly laid down by .the Unemployment Board that payment could not be made for time lost as tho result of the men's own default, although time could be made up when lost through wet weather or sickness or causes beyond the control of tho men.

SMALL LOCAL BODIES DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED The inability of small local bodies to discard unemployment relief schemes and carry out permanent works nt standard wages partly subsidised by the unemployment fund tvaa stressed in a discussion at the Papatoetoo Town Board meeting last nigjht. A letter was received from the Papatoetoe Welfare League requesting the board .to urge the Government to eliminate relief work in favour of sustenance for all men, or, alternatively, that the Unemployment Board grant subsidies to local bodies to enable them to do permanent work. Mr. E. BE. Burton said that, while he approved the decision of largo local bodies to complete current works at standard wages through subsidy and loan money, smaller local bodies could not face that proposal. Papatoetoo Town Board could not possibly find the money. The chairman, Mr. W. J. Nicholson, said it was not desirable to disturb existing local conditions. It would be impossible to pay standard wages. It was decided to advise the Welfare League that it was not possible to adopt its proposal regarding subsidised works.

OVERHEAD COST OF RELIEF WELLINGTON COUNCIL REQUEST [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS 'ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Tuesdny All members of the Wellington City Council waited on the Prime Minister, Mr. Forbes, and the Hon. J. A. Young, acting-Minister of Employment, to-day, to request that the Unemployment Board should find the necessary money to cover the overhead cost of work on No. 5 scheme in Wellington. It was stated that the council saw the end of the work in sight, but if .the money was not forthcoming the men would have to be placed on sustenance. The Prime Minister promised to consider the request, but at the same time he and Mr. Young drew attention to the favourable financial position of the Wellington -City Council, and referred to the effect that extra assistance to Wellington would have on other local bodies.

Mr. Forbes said he recognised what the Wellington City Council had done as far as unemployment was concerned. Ho said that it was much better for a man to be working, and ho was in sympathy with anything that could be done to provide work. It was not perhaps tho best way to spend money to take it from tho pockets of poor people for the relief of ratepayers. Many districts were not being treated similarly to Wellington, but it was not desired to place Wellington or any other local body in an impossible position.