LABOUR TROUBLES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 280, 25 November 1901, Page 2

LABOUR TROUBLES.

THE BTKIICE AT STBATFORD. THE MEN'S STATEMENT. (OUR SPECIAL REPORTRR.) The strike of the railway operators on: the Toko-Stratford railway appears to i bo a more serious affair than nt first j reported, and to roqui-e the fullest invesigatioi!. To uniitrsW;d the poai-1 tion, it is nectary to know tha system I under which tbe work has been andj is being carried on. It appears from inquiries m*de of the men by a reprej sentative of the News that the surface formation was done under the cooperative system, and appears to have been completely satisfactory. On tbe completion of the formation Mr Firket, the engineer in charge, explained to the men that it was absolutely necessary that the line should be leady to be opened on Boxing Day. With this object in view it was proposed to work double shifcs, and he offered the men 8s a day for eight-hour shifs—that is from 4 a.m. to 13 noon, and 12 noon to 8 p.m., two gangs of men being employed taking the earlv and late shifts week about. This was agreed to by a majority of the men, a minority contending that the ballast pit gangs should receive a shilling a day mote than than the lifters or spreaders. The work was started, and the dissatisfac- ; tion of the men working in the ballast 1 pit increased, as they s'ate the pit was j very wet and uncomfortable. The ' first trouble, however, arose from the spreaders, who, a short time back, threatened to go on strike unless a boss, or ganger, who had been removed was reinstated, and after some 'discussion their demml to have their I old boss reinstated was conceded. On ' Monday last, the ballast men gave Mr Ferket three days' notice of their in tention to strike unless the extra Is a day was granted them. On Thursday Mr Firket visited .the woiks, but did not discuss the ma'tor with them, accordingly on Feiday morning a meeting of tbe men was held and the strike resolved upon. The whole of tbe men, to the number of about 90, lift the work and marched to Mr Firket's office and formally repeated Jtheir demand, which, however, was re fused, upon which tbe men refused to return to the work, and were finally paid off in the afternoon. In reference to tha statement by our own correspondent that some of the men have returned to work, we undorstand that that only applies to tbe platelayers, to the number of between 21 and 30 men, and has no connection with the dispute of the ballast pit men, as their work consists merely in laying the sleepers and rails considerably in advance ot the ballasting. The men's claim is on the ground tbat it is the custom to pay the pit men Is a day more than the spreaders; first on account of the work being more arduous, and secondly tha*! it is more danger-ms. As an instance of the latter, they state thit a few days before the strike a shot was put in a face et the ballast pit, and after waiting for some time, and no explosion taking place, the ganger adI vai cod and put his Innd on the fu e to pull it out, at the same instant the explosion tcok place, the ganger heing thrown a considerable distance, and severely bruised, while severalother men bad very narrow e-capos. The men further allegnthat 9i a day is being paid by privato contractors in the Taranaki district for ordinary day labour, and not on the two-shift principle, which tbey claim is specially hard on the men, the eight hours continuous strain being very heavy. The men are all very firm in their intention not to return to work under the same conditions, and consider an inquiry 'should be held into the whole circumstances.

In connection with the above, it is stated in Stratford that 150 men are expected from Dunedin on Tuesday,