UNIONS TO ASSIST.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 764, 22 July 1916, Page 10

UNIONS TO ASSIST.

EMPLOYMENT FOR SOLDIERS. I IMPORTANT CONFERENCE YESTERDAY. A conference represenlative of j members of the G.D.C. and the; trade unions of the city was held | yesterday afternoon, for the pur-, pose of discussing the question of providing employment for returned soldiers. Those present were: Messrs J. I). Million and A. J. Symons (representing the C.D.C.), \V. H. Seed (Industrial Association), and: 11. Hunter, W. E. Woodham, E. .1. Howard, W. Green, I". R. Cook, C. Cookson, F. Ellis, and 1). ('.. Sullivan. Mr Symons, who presided, ex- '■ plained the purposes of the meeting, | and said thai many wild rumours were abroad concerning the attitude, being adopted by the unions towards returned "soldiers seeking employment. II had even been said that these men were being refused readmission to unions to which they had belonged prior to the war. Per-; sonally, he did not believe such a : statement, bill his organisation had; thought it desirable to meet the representatives of Labour and have; Ihe matter cleared up. The representatives of the G.D.C. were there lo gel work for the soldiers, and would be glad lo get the co-opera- j tion of Ihe unions. In the ensuing discussion Ihe union representatives stated emphatically that the suggestions of: hostility on their part towards sol- j diers seeking work were without foundation in fact. II was untrue j lo say that returned soldiers were '. refused admission to the unions. | They pointed out that admission! could not be refused under the pro- j visions of the Industrial Concilialion and Arbitration Act. So far] I from being hostile to the returned soldiers in the mailer of securing! employment, the unions were desirous of helping them, bul they re- ! senled any attempt on the part of I employers to exploit the labour of ! the soldiers by seeking lo secure , j permits to pay them less than they ! were worth. In no case had Ihe union secretaries refused a soldier a permit, and they wert prepared | to do all that lay in their power to help the returned soldier by finding him work. The present also explained the operation of the under-; | rate workers' clause, which was at- ! lached to every award and agree- | merit, whereby a worker who rejgarded himself as unable to earn j the minimum wage provided by Ihe ! award might agree with the union j secretary, concerning the wage he ' should be allowed to work at, and, ! failing agreement, it was provided I that the amount should be lixed by j the Inspector of Factories, i Messrs Symons and Million, on I behalf of the C.D.C., and Mr Seed ! (Industrial Association) expressed i their pleasure and satisfaction at i the remarks made by the secretaries, and said that they showed Ihe G.D.C. I and the unions to have a common purpose in regard to securing cmj ployment for the returned men. ! Some discussion •then look place | concerning the desirability of setI ting up a committee to regulate the I granting of permits for soldiers lo 'work at under-rales, but il was | pointed out that the Government had decided lo accede to a suggestion put forward by the Wellington | Trades Council to set up a board jin each district represenlative of ; employers and unions, to control ;: this matter. A letter was received from Mr A. ;iW. Jamieson, dealing with Ihe dilliI culties hitherto experienced, and 'urging the setting up of a combined j committee, consisting of represenj talives of the various parties inter- ' ested, to assist in looking after matj ters relating lo the employment of • returned men.

It was decided to adopt Mr Jamie- j son's suggestion, and that the committee should consist of seven mem- [ bers, three to be appointed by the Trades and Labour Council, three by the CD.C, the six to elect an independent chairman, the objects of the committee to be the Gliding of employment for returned men, and generally the safeguarding of their interests. A suggestion by Mr Sullivan, previously put forth in The Sun. that the Government should be /isked to make the wickerwork industry a preserve for the returned soldiers, imports lo be excluded, was referred to the committee, to be dealt with. At the conclusion of the proceedings, Messrs Millton and Symons expressed their satisfaction with what had been accomplished. THE PRESENT POSITION. The Discharged Soldiers' Information Department at Wellington has furnished the CD.C. with the following record, showing the existing position in the matter of securing employment for returned soldiers.' The total number of men on the rc-| gister of the department is 5159, the number disposed of in various ways, 5138. not yet ready for disposal.including nun recently returned, 756.; Details are as follow:—Left New Zealand, or address not ascertain able. Ill); re-enlisted, returned to [militarv duty, or work to return to, 1323; men who have signed 'assistancc nol required," 839; men placed in employment, 730; men who have not responded to repeated communications, '1; men who have accepted work the department found for them, but who failed to start work, 148; men who have drawn sections of land, 106; report upon cases nol yet returned bv officers making enquiries, 220; awaiting further advice i (chiefly men who have slated that they are not desirous of work), a.") 8: at present on employment wanted re- 1 gister, 351; men recently returned to New Zealand, not ready for employment, and nol yet discharged by the j military authorities, 750. Under the heading of "location of unplaced

men," the number given for Christchurch is 43, but the CD.C. authorities state that the number registered with them is 56.