WORK AT AERODROME

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22258, 5 November 1935, Page 15

WORK AT AERODROME

| NEW TERMS OFFERED DAY RATES FOR FOUR WEEKS ACCEPTANCE BY DEPUTATION An undertaking providing for an improved method of payment to the men who are to be employed on the ground improvements at the Mangere aerodrome was given by Mr. W. Bromley, deputy-chairman of the Unemployment Board, and Mr. J. S. Hunter, Commissioner of Unemployment, to a deputation which met them at the Auckland office of the board yesterday. The deputation comprised Mr. \V. J. Jordan, M.l\, Mr. C. R. Petrie, Mayor of Otahuhu, Mr. F. R. Lark, representing the Auckland Unemployed Workers' Association and two representatives of the Otahuhu men who have engaged for the work. The olfer made was that the men would be paid at the rate of 12$ a day lor a week of five days for the first month at the end of which ordinary Public Works conditions based on 12s a day would operate. The members of the deputation expressed the opinion that this would be acceptable to the men. It is anticipated that the first of the men, about 100 drawn from Onehunga, M;uigere and Otahuhu, will make a start at Mangere to-day and that the numbers will be increased until the total of 300 required is made up. Policy ol Department It was stated by the deputation that the men had accepted the work in the belief that they were to receive 12s a day and did not learn until later that it was to be on a co-operative basis and that they would be paid £1 a week for the first month pending the measure up when the balance of the money earned would be paid. It was contended that the men could not keep their families on that amount or on a higher rate since offered, and they asked that they be paid 12s a day for the first eight weeks to enable them to get fit. in the course of discussion Mr. Bromley said that the work would be carried out by the Public Works Department and the Unemployment Board did not want to do anything to upset the department's well-tried policy. He had no fear that the men wotdd not be able to earn 12si a day. He knew that on other jobs linen had been able to earn as much as 17s a day. On most of the jobs the department's officers arranged the rates so that the men were able to earn reasonable rates during the getting fit period. Public Men and Unemployment Exception, was taken by Mr. Bromley to a statement by Mr. Petrie that he would recommend the men to remain on sustenance. He said it was the duty of every public man, whether he was a member of Parliament or a member of a local body, to help the great crusade that was now going on to get the men back into employment. It was not going to help if the men were encouraged to stay on sustenance just because the Public Works Department could not depart from the system it had built up over many years. He said that the aerodrome jobs were regarded as something very much better than the relief camps where the men found it necessary to keep two homes. After consulting with Mr. Hunter and with Mr. F. S. Dyson, District Public Works Engineer, Mr. Bromley said that he and Mr. Hunter would take the responsibility of undertaking to pay at the rate of 12s a day with weekly payments for four weeks, after which the meli foifnd Suitable would be placed on the co-operative contract basis. Mr. Lark said ,he was satisfied that the men would accept those terms and tha'fc there would be no difficulty about the men going on to contract at the end of the month. Other members of the deputation expressed their satisfaction and thanked the officers lor their promise. It was reported subsequently that 56 men from Onehunga and Papatoetoe had accepted work at the aerodrome on contract and the Public Works Department intimated that if these men and others cared to work under the contract system they would be allowed to do so.