BUILDERS' LABOURERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24783, 6 December 1941, Page 8

BUILDERS' LABOURERS

UNPAID STATUTORY HOLIDAYS BREAK FROM LABOUR fARTY SUGGESTED (PA);; WELLINGTON, Dec. *.'v A proposal that the Wellington branch of the Builders and General Labourers' Union should '' disaffiliate with the New Zealand Labour Party as a protest against the non-payment for statutory holidays of workers in the building industry is to be considered at a forthcoming meeting of the union. The following no-, tice of which has been given by. a member of the union, will be_ discussed: " That in,view-P« the gross Mjustite .of;unpaid : statatpry holidays is ■'. still 'inflicted' <*&*• a= butden on the building trades worker, iM* uaion take the.necessary. disaffiliate with the . 'New. tZealand Labour Party." ; . - ;. '•• .x ~ i:V v Discussing the notice of motion the secretary of the union, Mr Butler; said that the labourers had been one of the earliest: affiliations to: the New Zealand Labour Party, and .consequently the notice of motion was m. matter of serious "import to members of theunion.. :As the:noticeef:motion indicated, there , was-a strong feeling of resentment about the non-paymen,t of statutory holidays to porkers m the building industry. On several OG7 casions industrial conferences and political conferences of the Labour movement had unanimously resolved that this injustice should be removed from the building, trades workers. The forthcoming Christmas season would be the seventh since theiLabour,Government took office and! no: definite action had been yet taken to remove the injustice. The patience of members was at breaking point. v.,.. Mr" Butler said that all the labourers' unions in \ New Zealand were affiliated to the: Labour Party; decision of the Wellington members would have possible repercussions in other centres, affecting a large number of affiliated members. '