PUBLIC WORKS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17230, 9 April 1930, Page 13

PUBLIC WORKS

WAjGES AND CONDITIONS NEW AGREEMENT SOUGHT The agreement, under whieh employees or the Public WorKs Department are working expired at the end of March, and steps are now being taken by the New Ken land Workers' luion to secure ;i new agreement. the men will ask for a number of improvements both in regard to wages and the conditions nl their work. The case for the men will he handled 'bv delegates drawn from the various Public, Works camps throughout the Ho minion, ami it is expected thai the conference- ivith representatives of the department will take place some time in June. The delegates will first state their case to the Minister ol Public Works, the Hon. K. A. Hansom, and will later interview the engineers. Already a number of remits suggesting improvements in wages and conditions have been received at the head office of the New Zealand Workers' Union. Several proposals have been adNamed in regard to wages. One remit urges an increase of Is per day and another suggests a minimum wage of los per dav. It is suggested by one branch thai the 10-operative contract system should le abolished and that failing that ;i minimum wage he guaranteed to all cooperative conduct -anus. [Another suggestion is licit all time lost on iicconnl o- wet weather should be pnirl for bv the department. 'Several branches suggest that ft prc-ference-to-unionists clause should be inserted in the agreement, and there are several suggestions in regard to the hours of work. The men employed at L'urewa are in favor 1 of asking for a 40-hour week on the ground that it would prove of'assistance in solving the unemployed problem Tawa Flat urges that the working dav should consist ot seven hours, the'same to be worked COlllinuouslv except for necessary intervals for meals. Where it is necessary l<> work on Saturdays, the hours ol work on Urn! day should be confined to Four. \ll time in excess rrf seven hours on ordinary days and four hours on Saturdays should' he classed as overtime and paid for accordingly. Tawa Mat is asking for a rate of Is per hour for all men engaged on tun uelliti" work, and that the minimum ,-ate & increased to 2s Ud per hour. Other remits ask thai men required (o live in tents should receive an additional 2s per week, that two "smokos (one in the morning and one in the afternoon) of 10 minutes each be allowed that the Public Works Department shall be subject to the "Mining Act regarding ventilation, that married accommodation he available to all men requiring it. and that all classes of trade* men shall have their rates ol pay omhodiod in ihe next agreement and he, paid their respective award rates. —W ellington Tost. _^_____