THE GASWORKS TROUBLE.

Colonist, Volume LXI, Issue 15075, 19 May 1919, Page 5

THE GASWORKS TROUBLE.

CITY" COUNCIL MEETS STOKERS

SICKIPAY FAVOURED

MEN RETURN TO WORK

PENDING COUNCIL'S CONCURRENCE IN THEIR DEMANDS.

yOn Saturday.morning the City Council ir.et the gasworks stokers in conneaition with-the ;xecent trouble at the wor^E. There were present the Mayor (Mr W W. Snodgrass), Crs. Stringer. Plum, Baigent, "Pettit, Marris, Watson, ami •Harlev.

The City Engineer Mr J. 0. -Lrile;john).nnd.Mr S.jTyson (Inspector o? Factories) were -also in attendance. The demands which had been pro^ented by the stokers to ih? City Engineer nvere as :f allows:—(1) Back sick pay for Stobba and-Bentley; (2) all sick pay to ;be discontinued from now on; (3) time :anda'haTf">for Sundays and holidays; (4) none of the present stokers to be disrmissfK? within three montlis; (5) all pipes badly blocked that require burning o\it to be attended to by an exti'a, man. Before 'the man were called in, th^ Mayor saidithe gasworks were stuck-up, ••"and. the temporary: arrangements' could mot be carried on. A cargo of coal had arrived, and if .the trouble was not settled probably the coal would not be handled. The case of Stobba's sickness had not come before the committee, or.1 •no doubtlhe would'have been paid. The Mayor commented adversely on the pieamble of the stokers' demands, whiob read: "We, the undersigned, will not ■resume work unless the following conditaons aTercomplied-.with." The City -Engineer said he could. not deal with the men's demands, whicn should come before the Council. If the men had communicated with him tie ■would have "brought the matter before the Council, lie objected to the manner •in -which the demands were presented. ._ &*> T tli is stage the gasworks foreman (Mr .J. Morgan) arid-the stokers were called in, and the trouble was fully die-' ; cussed. I

A resolution was unanimously passed, -on the motion of Cr. Harley, seconded by 'Iri?l^" 8 ' that il be a recommendation to the Council to favourably consider the payment of-sick pay to- stdkers, provid■i'd the men agreed to return to work till the matter came before the Council. lnc stokers retired to-consider the patter, and in:returning;Mr Rogers (on behalf-oi the men) announo&d that tHey were prepared to return to work' pro tern, if the Council agreed vtb the %• mands presented to the City Engineer Ine Mayor pointed out tliat the meetma; was a conference, and,-as the Council could not meet except at :lwo days' notice, the demanQs eoufd Toot be acceded to. at that stage. >, B.e suggested that the men shouia return ,to work until -nost Friday, when tfae\Cbuficil would ni^ an^ consider the .mitter. 1 lie stokers again retired, and on n»'turmng presented"the 'following statement:—"We, the stokers of the Nelson •Irasworks, are prepared to resume work at 4 p.m. to-day, on condition that tlw sickpav be favourablyeonsidereQ by the •Couiicjl. That a new-agreement be *n~ terea into, the terms <JF which will %c lonvnrQed to the Council'for 'discussion, •and that a final agreement be-catered into noff later than the24th May." *i TKlsTas accepted % tli^Councli, anct tulie coitrerence terminate 3.