THREE DAYS TO GO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23828, 7 June 1939, Page 8

THREE DAYS TO GO

SUBSIDY WORKERS' JOB WATER DEPARTMENT MEN POSSIBILITY OF DISMISSAL Efforts are at present being made by the City Council to avoid having to dismiss 40 subsidised workers in the Water Department who are in the position of having worked themselves out of a job. The subsidised work for which they were engaged under the Government's scheme will be finished on Friday, and authority is being sought for them to be transferred to subsidy works in the reserves Department. Question of Transfer The position v/as discussed when the report of the Water Committee was being considered at last night's meeting of the Council. A clause in the report stated that the programme foi the renewal of the three-inch mams in the city with four-inch mains had been completed, and in addition main extension work had been advanced as far as the available stock of pipes would allow. It was not, therefore, possible for the department to provide further work beyond June 9 for the 40 subsidised workers who had been engaged, in addition to the regular staff, on these works, and it was proposed, therefore, to arrange for the transfer of these men to subsidy works in the Reserves Department, for which authority was now awaited. A further outlet for employment would be provided when the works loan operations are put in hand. Cr Munro said he would like the chairman of the Water Committee to keep a close eye on the position, or he might find himself in the position of having to .dismiss 40 men.

Temporary Work?

■ Cr Connolly asked whether it. would be possible to find temporary work for the men until authority was received from the Government to transfer them to subsidy works in the Reserves Department, or whether they would have to go off in the meantime.

The Mayor (Mr A. H. Allen) emphasised that the men were not members of the council's regular staff. They were subsidised workers engaged under the Government's scheme for a specific purpose, and if that work ran out, as was happening in the present instance, the council had surely done its part. If the Government provided the money, the council would employ the men, but until recently the council had received no subsidy money since March 30 for subsidy labour, and it was only now that the Government was beginning to resume payments. Cr Connolly: Was the Government informed that the men would not be employed after June 9? The town clerk (Mr R. A. Johnston): Yes. An Urgent Matter "Well, it is urgent," Cr Connolly said, "and I think renewed representations should be made." The Mayor said he had been informed by the town clerk, that the district employment officer, had telegraphed to the Minister of Labour (Mr P. C. Webb), emphasising the urgency of the position, but so far there had been no reply.

" There need be no fear as to the efforts I will make to keep the men in employment, especially at this time of the year," said the chairman of the Water Committee (Cr Walls) " This team of men has done excellent work, and while there is work of this kind to be done we should try to retain them."