EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10718, 12 October 1920, Page 6

EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS

IN THE PRINTING TRADE

The secretary of the Wellington Master Printers' Association (Mr Fred. Pirani) writes: Sir, —Apropos of the motions passed by the Wellington Typographical; Association on Saturday night, allow me to give the publio an explanation of tha position taken up by my' association in reference to the new award. It is un fortunate that the awards have beer held up by the Government department for reasons of which I know nothing, except what has been volunteered to me by one of the workers' most trusted representatives; and yet I can have no sympathy with the workers in tho matter, as the hold-up is due to an attempt to introduce a new provision into the preference clause without specially directing the of the court to it —and a provision quite foreign to an arbitration award, and which many of the workers themselves object to. Indeed, we were assured at the conference that there was nothing new in the preference clause. It is only fair to the employers to 6tate that they have, as usual, more than kept faith with the -workers in every sense. They need not have paid more than the old rate of wages until the decision of the court on September 13th, yet they voluntarily increased the pay defined in the old awards by from £1 5s to "£2 a week from April 2nd, in anticipation of the award. Probably the workers will retort that the amount would, anyhow, have had to be given in hack pay; but against that philosophio argument let me point out that the,same reason should prevent the workers concerned making untenable demands until the court has settled the knotty points at issue. With the exception of the linotype operators, every section of the trade has been paid within Is 3d and 3s 9d of the amount awarded by the court. In regard to the allegation of a "conspiracy" to defeat the award, the secretary of the Typographical Association was supplied with a copy of the lettr sent to the court for an interpretation of the points at issue, and when the reply ia received the employers will naturally comply with the decision given. Until then they have a perfect right to wait. It is no fault of the employers that the award has not been circulated so that a complete understanding could be arrived at —as I have pointed out, it is entirely due to the introduction by the workers of -a provision considered by those in authority contrary to the law. The employers are quito aware that their own interests demand an honourable understanding with their employees, and the absence of friction in the trade is sufficient guarantee that ;they have always observed 'that policy. Such an attitude as that shown in the motions referred to is not (likely to persuade the employers in future to act as promptly and considerately as they havo in the present case, and to voluntarily take steps to help those upon whom they think the cost of living presses unduly, but I do hope [that the motions passed do not reflect the matured opinions of the majority of tho workers in tho trade.—Yours, [etc., FRED. PIRANI.