WORK TO RESUME

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22818, 27 August 1937, Page 12

WORK TO RESUME

ORAKEI HOUSING DECISION OF CARPENTERS STANDARD WAGE ISSUE COURT'S FINDING AWAITED The carpenters employed on the erection of State house,s at Onlkei will resumo on Monday, after being idle since last Friday as tho result of a dispute over wages. It has been arranged by the men and the employers to call a conference of assessors within a week after the Arbitration Court's pronouncement on standard wages with a view to effecting a ..permanent settlement. The men, it is stated, have been given to understand that any increase will be operative from the time of the Court's judgment. Tho decision to return to work was made at a meeting of the men in the Trades Hall yesterday. There were several speakers, including Mr. W. J. Lyon, M.P. for "Waitemata, Mr. J. McLugen, president of tho Federation of Labour, and Mr. F. Cornish, secretary of tho federation. The general conference was followed by a meeting of delegates in the afternoon, when a statement was issued by Mr. J. G. Kennerley, secretary of the Carpenters and Joiners' Union, on behalf of the men at Orakei. Mr. Kennerley said that after a full discussion and consideration of the matters in dispute on the Orakei scheme and the general conditions of the carpenters award a fully-attended and representative meeting of the men decided to resume work on Monday. An important feature in making a settlement possible was tho assurance that arrangements would be made to hold an early conference between the union representatives and the Master Builders' Association to discuss the wages and other conditions after the pronouncement of tho Arbitration Court on the standard wage for skilled workers. "Any agreement reached at this conference on wages will be given immediate effect to and will give an increase of wages to all carpenters throughout tho Dominion," Mr. Kennerley continued. "As the Orakei men feel this will achieve their objective as it concerned their own particular job, they agreed to resume work." Beyond expressing his gratification at a settlement having been reached, Mr. William Fletcher, director of the Fletcher Construction Company, Limited, declined to comment on the terms.