PUBLIC WORKS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16913, 30 March 1929, Page 8

PUBLIC WORKS

'•GRAVE DISCONTENT" COMPLAINT BY WORKERS’ UNION “Never in the history of New Zealand has a large body of men been treated in such a contemptible manner as are the Public Works employees at the present time under the 'administration of the United 1 government-,” said Mr. A. Cook, general secretary oi' the New Zealand Workers’ Union, in the course of an interview with a Dominion representative. “The conditions are so wretched, and the treatment meted out to the men so brutal that grave discontent exists on all public works throughout the Dominion.”

Mr. Cook said that he could prove, that Public Works Department men were to-day being subjected to treatment which 'Mr. Coates, when Minister of Public Work:-;, and inter Prime Minister, would not have tolerated for one minute. He went on to deal with specific cases, and said that during the last fortnight close on 200 men had been dismissed from public works in the North Auckland district. Many oi these men were married, and were- absolutely destitute. Many telegrams bad been forwarded to both' the Prime Minister and Minister of Public Works, but no satisfaction was forthcoming. "The New Zealand Workers' Union,"

said Mr. Cook, "asks the Government to immediately appoint a commission to inquire into the conditions of employment on all public works jobs throughout the Dominion. If this is done, -we will undertake to prove: (1) That it is impossible for the most experienced men to make wages on present piecework rates; (2) that through Ministerial and departmental neglect there is grave dissatisfaction amongst the whole of the workers, on account of which the State is suffering a great loss; (3) that men are being compelled to work in dangerous places without safety appliances of any description, and any man who protests is dismissed; (4)'that well-to-do farmers are being employed as overseers and foremen on certain jobs, motor cars being used and paid for by the department to convey them from their farms to work, and back; (5) that single relatives of department officials are kept employed, and married men with large families are dismissed; (6) that men are being robbed of numerous agreement privileges, which they are justly entitled to; (7) that victimisation is rife, viz.. any man who asks for just treatment or who represents the union, is sorted out for early dismissal by certain engineers; (8) that the Public Works Workers' Agreement is being completely , ignored by certain engineers; (9) that men Who'meet with accidents are subjected to great inconvenience before obtaining their accident compensation payment."

"MEN NOT DISSATISFIED" WHAT OBSERVATIONS SHOW Holding that the men, broadly speaking, were entirely satisfied with their employment, the Minister of Public Works, Hon. E. A. Ransom, in an interview with a Dominion represent a : uve, challenged Mr. A. Cook, general secretary of the New Zealand Workers' Union, to substantiate the published ac : captions made by him in regard to the conditions prevailing amongst-" the' employees oi the Public Works Department.

"According to Mr. Cook's statement, said the 'Minister, "there is great dis r satisfaction prevailing' within the K»nks of" the" workers, but my investigations after moving around amongst _ .the men in '•carious part's""of the Dominion satisiv me. that this discontent" is" not general," but" that", broadly speaking, the men are entirely satisfied with their employment. As evidence of this. I have 'continued applications from men out of work who are desirous of obtaining employment under the Public Works Department, and, further, there is an immediate outcry from those so engaged if for any reason to have to stop the works on which they are engaged. One of thp chief troubles we have in. regard to men engaged on Public Works relief works is that they will not bestir themselves to obtain other employment so long as the Pubhc Works job'lasts. If conditions were as stated by Mr. Cook, then it' is only natural that they would seek employ: ment. elsewhere so soon as such employment is available.

WORK ON FARMS '.'Attached to most of the large Public Works jobs is accommodation both for named and single men. and so far 10 charge has been made to the workers for this accommodation, so that in addition to the wages paid to the. men many >f them are living rent free over expended periods. This condition has in some quarters caused complaint from arrners and others who have, work to be lone that they have some difficulty in obtaining satisfactory labor owing to the ittractivc conditions of tho Public. Works jobs In this connection I should ike to mention that if there are any farmers (, r Farmers' Unions who are in l position to give work to those now rat of employment, and they will make •epresentations to my department, I will mdertake to see. that suitable mien are ippointed to> those positions, and will ie very glad of the opportunity to so )lace them. Should it he found that nen seeking employment refuse those jositions then they 'would certainly not ie engaged on Public Works. PREVENTING DESTITUTION

"Mr. Cook uses extravagant terms, such as 'wretched conditions' and 'brutal treatment' meted out in tho Public Works Department. I invite him to substantiate such accusations, and if they do exist I will see that they are remedied. If discontent prevails in the Public Works service as stated by Mr. Cook, why is there such an outcry on cessation of work as is pointed out by Mr. Cook in a later paragraph of his article in reference to tho 200 men who were put off in the North Auckland district?' He' states further that married men put' off such "jobs are absolutely destitute. I ask him 'why should men be destitute who have only ju6t been discharged from works on which the average wage is 14s per day? This rate of wage was fixed so that no man who had been for any extended period on Public Works should have to he discharged in a condition of destitution, and it was understood that under these conditions they would he able to save sufficient during their period of employment to enable them to seek work elsewhere and avoid this condition of destitution.

"Mr. Cook has laid down several definite charges, numbering from one to

nine; if he can prove bis allegations to my satisfaction there will be. no necessity for any commission to inquire, into the position, as I can, and will, deal with it myself. As Minister in charge of this department, I will not take second place to Mr. Cook or to anyone else in my desire and determination to see that men engaged in ' the Public Works Department are fairly and justly treated/'