TRAINEE SYSTEM FOR BUILDING

Southland Times, Issue 23437, 18 February 1938, Page 9

TRAINEE SYSTEM FOR BUILDING

EMPLOYERS COMMENT ON FAILURE ATTITUDE OF GOVERNMENT CRITICIZED (United Press Association) PALMERSTON NORTH, Feb. 17. (< lt is a poor look-out for us when the Minister allows a scheme to go ahead in one place and not in another, because some union secretary cries it down.” This remark and others like it were made at the annual conference of the New Zealand Builders’ Federation today during a discussion on the failure of the subsidized trainee-apprentice scheme started by the acting-Minister of Labour (the Hon. P. C. Webb) last year. _ The conference was informed that in reply to a statement that the Carpenters and Joiners’ Union in Auckland was definitely hostile to the scheme, the Minister had stated that he saw little to be gained by trying to force the trainee system on areas where that method was not favoured. The scheme provided for a subsidy on the wages of apprentices, and it was stated that at a conference of workers’ and employers’ representatives it had been approved. . Mr V. A. Coyle (Auckland) said it seemed that the Auckland secretary was able to bring sufficient pressure on the Minister to squash a policy measure. Mr W. A. Petrie (Timaru) said the scheme had not been taken up as the industry expected. “A POOR LOOK-OUT” Mr J. H. Meyer (Wellington): It is a poor look-out for us when the Minister allows a scheme to go ahead at one place and yet not another because a union secretary cries it down. For the Minister to turn his toes in like that is not playing the game. The secretary, Mr W. L. Mountjoy, said the arrangement was a voluntary one with the unions and nobody was more surprised than the builders when it was learned that Mr Webb had got the unions to agree to it. If the unions now objected, the builders would have to let it go at that. Mr Coyle said he was not content to see the builders stand aside and let this sort of thing happen without expressing regret. There were contracts to comply with and other necessary conditions. It was decided to hold the 1939 conference at Hamilton. Officers were elected as follows: President, Mr W. A. Petrie (Timaru); vice-president, Mr V. A. Coyle (Auckland); executive committee, Messrs A. Fletcher, A. B. Fraser, W. Parkin and G. D. Dick; trustees, Messrs W. Parkin and W. Mill; representative on New Zealand Employers’ Federation Advisory Board, Mr W. Mill; auditors, Messrs W. E. Jones and P. C. Watt; representative on New Zealand Standards Institute construction sub-committee, Mr W. E. Jones (Lower Hutt); representative on Standards Institute cereamic subcommittee, Mr J. H. Meyer (Wellington),