STILL ON STRIKE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27498, 19 September 1950, Page 4

STILL ON STRIKE

Ship Repair Workers DISPUTE OVER PAY All tradesmen employed by Stevenson and Cook, engineering firm and by the Union Steam Ship Company, at its repair workshop at Port Chalmers, continued on strike yesterday over the question of pay. Whether the dispute will be settled soon will probably depend upon the outcome of their discussions with their respective union secretaries.

Another meeting was held at Port Chalmers yesterday morning, and later in the day, the men, who represent a variety of trades, discussed the matter with their union representatives A spokesman for the employers said late in the afternoon that he did not know what the outcome was of these discussions. No indication of whether the men would return to work had been given to the companies concerned, he said. In the meantime they would have to adopt the policy of “wait and see.” •

Dissatisfaction with the rates of pay as compared with those ruling for unskilled workers is the reason for the dispute. The men are making a claim for an increase of Is an hour, but the employers have pointed out to them that they have to abide by the wage awards. Representatives of the men had a discussion with the employers over the rates of pay last Thursday, and the men decided at a special stop-work meeting on the following morning to stop work until some settlement was reached.