UNION DISPUTE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22917, 21 December 1937, Page 18

UNION DISPUTE

5 MEN AT OKAKEI t Meeting with mr. lark •¥* ' SsOME HEATED ARGUMENT 2 GRIEVANCES VENTILATED •V fL ■ A further clash of opinions between the Hon. F. E. Lark, as representative of the New Zealand Workers' Union, and a section of the workers employed on preparing the new school site in Coates Avenue, Orakei, occurred yesterday when Mr. Lark visited the work during the luhch hour and addressed the men. Argument became fairly heated on occasions but Mr. Lark dealt with the grievances of the men and statod that they should have been communicated to the union and not ventilated through the columns of the daily press. Mr. Lark said he had been absent from the city last week when an article appeared in the Herald setting out the grievances of the men. He had been instructed to give a statement in reply, but he had asked the newspapers to be represented at tlie meeting, as he preferred to 6ay what he had to say in front of the men.

Payment ol Union Pee -"Some of you men," said Mr. Lark, "are objecting to paying 25s as membership fee to the union. The Auckland office is not responsible for that fee; it is decided on by the delegates at the annual conference, and the only way to reduce it is by sending a remit to the conference." He added that some of the men said they did not want their money taken to build up the funds of the Standard, but that complaint gfcould also have been lodged with the union, and not with the 'Opposition press. • 4 A Workman: How about leaving the Opposition alone for a time. Ihis isn t a political meeting. There had been complaints that the men had only been engaged for four months, Mr. Lark continued, and that they were being forced to pay a full year's subscription for that period. In reply to that, he could say that the Public Works Department wanted men ajj over the country and there was no reason for any man at Orakei to go on sustenance after the job was finished.

Relief Work Status Mr. Lark dealt at length with the conditions under which the men were employed and the manner in which their earnings were computed. The cooperative contract system, he said, had been approved by a plebiscite of . the tfjbrkers. 'Some of the Orakei men claimed that they were relief workers, but he hoped the day would come when all workers would unite to throw that term overboard. A. Workman The employing authorities gave us to understand that we are on relief under Scheme 13. Mr. Lark: They have no right to say that. You are on standard rates of pay. "Someone has said that I threatened to 'drop-kick' men out of the njiion," said Mr. Lark. "There is not a- word of truth in that. I came out here and one man told me that I 'was tiding to take advantage of the medals on my watch chain to bully njen into working. I told that man that if- he hit me I would drop him. IS that correct?" Men: No. 'You said you .would drop-kick him off the job.

"Down With Labour" "I said nothing of the kind," Mr. Lark replied. " 1 know you have had vour sheds placarded ' Down with Labour,' but there was not a man atpong you honest enough to say who did the placarding." Mr. Lark stated that arrangements had been made to measure up the iqgn's work and pay them as near as possible to the Christmas holidays. They Wbuld have three days' pay coming to tfiem after the holidays, but they would be; paid sustenance for the intervening fortnight. ■A Workman: Why weren't we informed of that 5 W« asked on Friday and we were told the union had no information. Mr. Lark: We could not say who was covered by the department's _ instruction until we had a proper interpretation. The Average Earnings The average earnings on the job wbrked out at 2s Id an hour, Mr. Lark continued, and the rate of 2s a yard was the best which was being paid for ajjv tvpe of work of a similar nature. Some time might be lost through rain, but the Government did not control the weather. * Men on scheme 13 work under the City Couhcil have had no trouble," one workman said. "We cannot earn a living wage and it is not right that we sh"6tila have to pay 25s union fee for four months' work." You don't pay 2os for your job,''' Mr. Lark replied. " Four months' work doesn't end our obligations. We have to look after your interests while you are here and then find you other work to go to after the job is finished." Weekly Wage Discuased

" We were told that we could earn •up to £1 a day and not less than 165," said another workman. " I maintain that we have not averaged more than £3 6s a week over the last 12 weeks. We do not live by the day; we live by the week. It is all very well to talk about the rate per hour, but if we start talking yards and hours to our grocers and bakers they ask for something a bit more like real cash." The man stated that Mr. Lark had declared him to be an enemy of the Labour Party and had endeavoured to influence other workmen against him. Mr. Lark: 1 said I hoped they would charge you double for your union fee and that you would refuse to pay. Question ol Politics The Workman: The other Government had the No. 5 scheme. Mr. Lark: If you want the other Government; go and work and vote for it. Your mates will have enough sense to see that your vote will not count for much. The conditions of work and rates of pay on the iob appeared to be. quite fair, Mr. Lark concluded. Men on other jobs would come to Orakei if they could and earn 3s an hour. The best thing the men could do was to assist themselves and their organisation by tackling their work in a. new spirit "after the holidays. No resolution was put to the meeting before the men dispersed.