RAILWAYMEN'S GRIEVANCE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 63, 28 October 1911, Page 5

RAILWAYMEN'S GRIEVANCE.

(Per Press Association > Palmerston North, October 27. There was an indignation meeting of fifty or sixty railway employees at Palmerston station at mid-day to-day, protesting against the Government' increasing their wages to .2130 instead of £133 as they claimed had I eon promised by the Premier and Mr Millar, who said married men should ie-1 eeive not less than nine shillings per diem. Mr Robert MeNab had been asked during the morning to ascertain information from Wellington, and reported to the meeting that the i ill had already passed the third reading, legislation' was finished for the session, and the Railway Union Uxe.cutive had expressed itself pleased with the contents of the Bill. 10-night a meeting of the Palmerston Brandi of the Amalgamated Society passed a insolation of protect against the treatment of lower-paid men in the amended schedule of the Classification Act, which was opposed to the Budget statement that no man should receive less than nine shillings per diem. LABOURERS’ STRIKE. THE POSITION IN AUCKLAND. Auckland, October 27. The labourers’ strike continues. No further striking was demanded by the officials of the Federation of Labour to-day. The men employed by the City Council at tiie waterworks, about ten casual hands, ceased work this afternoon in response to a command made on the precious day. This gave a good number of people the impression that the executive was pursuing the work of bringing men out, hut early in the day the Labourers’ Union met, and, having discussed the position, decided not to act further until the matter had been talked over with the Mayor; The Mayor was met accordingly, and heard very fully all the arguments advanced by a deputation, headed by Mr R. Semple. Mr Pan; promised to summon tlie Drainage Board on Monday at the earliest possible moment, and the deputation carried the message to the union. The union met and decided that no further extension in flic strike_ should bo made until tthe board’s decision is announced, but on Saturday afternoon a demonstration will lie made at the Grey statue. Altogether about 690 men ai" out. They include none luk members of the General Labourers’ Union, and of these only men employed on public: works. T’m effect of the strike is not nearly so sc; ions or immediate as it would have been had the public transport service been affected, but some of tho works cannot suffer delay without injury, and in one direction at least thorn is a certain amount of sting in the action, for the disposal of the city’s huge daily output of organic refuse is crippled, and a return has had to be made to the old system of dumping it where it will do the least possible harm consisitcnt with convenience, it was common talk in town to-diy infix the Federation of Labour fully intended to cal! on the Tramways Union to cease work, and perhaps upon the waterside workers as well, and even fixed the time for the trams to cease running. No such serious step uas taken. I Tho direct cause of the strike was the action of a few workmen who took a sub-contract'under a contractor doing work for the Drainage Board. The principle of sub-contracting, in tne sense of the co-operation of workers on piece work, especially in competition with others paid by the day, is opposed by organised labour, and tie occasion was. seized to force this position upon the public so that the puolie bodies would declare once and for all that they will not allow any subcontracting. ; . . , , Only one issue has been placed before the Drainage Board, through the Mayor, and that is tho_ abolition _of the principle. The union met tms evening, and decided not to call out any more 'men till the Drainage Board meets on Monday, but the men now out are to remain out.