AUCKLAND BUILDING TRADE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22905, 12 June 1936, Page 7

AUCKLAND BUILDING TRADE

CONDITIONS IN LABOUR MARKET EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS' VIEWS (Special to Daily Times) AUCKLAND, July 11. Building operations in Auckland are being hampered by the shortage of labour and the uncertainty regarding the effect of the legislation, according to several city architect*). Officials of the unions concerned, on the other hand, deny that there is flny shortage, and state that members are unemployed. , It was also stated by one authority that building costs have rieen recently by about 20 per cent. One architect, at least, received no tenders for some jobs which he advertised, and for other jobs which would once have attracted perhaps 25 or 30 tenderers he received only two or three replies. There were only two tenderers for an alteration job valued at £SOOO. The shortage of tenders is not confined to building, for the associated trades are concerned as well. It is claimed that there has been a shortage of painters for the past six months, while others affected are bricklayers, plasterers, and plumbers. Materials are another factor, and it ifl stated that joinery and fibrous plaster factories are working to capacity, and timber mills arc having difficulty in «upplying certain types of wood. Varying opinions were expressed regarding the effect of the legislation. Some considered that the present rush of work was due to people desiring to build before wages rose, while it was also contended that the uncertainty regarding the future is making contractors diiiident about tendering. " Some, contractors will not enter into any large contracts at present as they prefer to remain on jobbing work until the exact effect of the wages rise can be computed," said one architect. "In other cases contractors are covering themselves by wages clauses." "There is no shortage of carpenters, said the secretary of the Carpenters Union (Mr W. A. Greig). "The work is still so broken that some men now on other work are hesitating to return to their trade." An official of the Painters' Union also asserted that there was no shortage or workers, some members still being out of employment. However, a large employer of labour contended that the conditions in the painting trade were now busier than for the past seven or eight years, and there was no need for any qualified tradesman to be out of work.