CASUAL WORK EVIL

Taranaki Daily News, 20 July 1935, Page 7

CASUAL WORK EVIL

UNENVIABLE POSITION JUDGE SUGGESTS REMEDY REDUCED COMPETITION PUTTING ONUS ON STATE i By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Rec. 8.30 p.m. Sydney, July 19. Judge Beeby in the Federal Arbitration Court to-day condemned casual labour on the waterfront during the hearing of a claim by the Ship Painters and Dockers’ Union for a new award. He said there was nothing worse in any community than casual labour. The man who had no place in society but just wandered about hawking his labour by the hour was in an unenviable position. He pointed out that there was a small group of ship painters and dockers earning a little over £3 a week. The next group earned £2 a week and the last group under £2. The remedy seemed to be to limit the number of men scrambling for jobs and throw the responsibility upon the State of finding work for the surplus. Mr. Beeby mentioned the case of wharf workers at Brisbane a few years ago when at least 1400 men were competing for work. Eventually they were reduced in number to 700 with the result that all were earning £4 a week and were permanently employed. '