RELIEF WORK PAY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22320, 18 January 1936, Page 16

RELIEF WORK PAY

LOSS IN WET WEATHER MEN AT MANGERE AERODROME COMPENSATION ARRANGED Dissatisfied with their earnings, which have been far below expectations owing to the wet weather, about 280 relief workers at the Mangere aerodrome refused to start work yesterday morning. However,'after a consultation with the president of the Auckland Provincial Unemployed Workers' Association, Mr. W. J. Lvon, AI.P., and Mr. l'\ K. Lark, organising secretary of the association, who have been negotiating on their behalf, the men resumed work at 9.30. Mr. Lyon was in communication with the Minister of Employment, Hon. H. X. Armstrong, yesterday, and the Minister agreed that for one month the. men should" be guaranteed an amount equivalent to what thev would normally have made working under the No. r> scheme. The Labour Department in Auckland received authority in the afternoon from the Alinistcr to make up the net amount received by the men to the sustenance rates they would be entitled to under relief conditions. However, in the evening authority came for payment to be made up to the No. 5 scheme rates. Expediting Payment The department was asked to make the payment as soon as possible and every endeavour is being made to carry out the distribution this morning. So much work is involved at such short notice that the department could give no guarantee yesterday afternoon that the payment would be made this morning. The distribution has to be made from the post offices in the various districts in which the men reside, and this makes the possibility of the payment being made this morning more doubtful. It was impossible to assess the amount accurately yesterday, but the total dis-. tribution will probably be in the vicinity of £2OO. If a man has received, say, ]os, during the week from the Public Works Department and the relief rate payable in the class to which he belongs is 30s, then he will receive £l, bringing his weekly payment to the equivalent of the relief rate. Costs of Transport

Under the co-operative contract system operating at Mangere married men are supposed to receive 12s a day for live days a week and single men 9s a day. It is stated that some of the men have received only 10s a week owing to the wet weather.

Another matter of complaint by the men is that of transport costs. Mr. Lyon stated yesterday that some of tho men were paying as much as from 4s 6d to 8s a week to get to work. Mr. Lyon said it had been suggested by the men that the Government should pay 10s a day in compensation for work lost through wet weather. He had pointed out that this would be impossible, as it would mean that the payment would have to bo made general for every class of labour throughout New Zealand. Messrs. Lyon and Lark will leave for Wellington 'next week to confer with the Minister of Public "Works, Hon. R. Semple, regarding the conditions of the work at Mangere. In deciding to resume work the men expressed confidence in tho ability of Messrs. Lyon and Lark to handle the matter on their behalf.