MASS MEETING

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24759, 6 December 1943, Page 4

MASS MEETING

BUILDING WORKERS

PROGRESS OF DISPUTE A report on the progress of the dispute about fares and travelling time on construction work under the Essential Building Order was submitted to a mass meeting of over 4000 building trade workers in the Town Hall on Saturday morning by the secretary of the Auckland Building Trades Federaiou, Mr. R. Stanley. According to an official statement issued after the meeting there were indications that the dispute was likely to bo settled in a manner satisfactory to the workers. Mr. F. Craig, president of the Auckland Trades Council, presided. Mr. Stanley stated that he and Mr. Craig had submitted the whole facts of the case to the national executive of the New Zealand Federation of Labour, as at that time they were unable to interview the acting-Prime Minister, the Hon. W. Nash. Documentary evidence had been produced by the Auckland representatives that the Auckland workers' oiler to concede a part of the advantage they had secured in travelling time anil fares, provided the modified arrangement was applied to the rest of New Zealand, had been accepted by the authorities. The arrangement, which meant a loss of 3s a week to Auckland workers, but an average gain to other parts of New Zealand of 10s a week, had been endorsed by Government representatives a.s a solution of the anomalv which had arisen through the Auckland arrangements being more generous than those existing elsewhere. The national executive had agreed that the Auckland workers were justified in their case and would endeavour to see that the agreement reached by both parties should be fully carried out. reported Mr. Stanley. Arrangements had been made to interview Mr. Nash and other Ministers accordingly. The official report said that the meeting expressed its satisfaction that the dispute was now engaging the attention of the representatives of the whole trade union movement.