STRIKE AT CEMENT WORKS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144199, 16 September 1913, Page 3

STRIKE AT CEMENT WORKS.

HIGHER WAGES WANTED. pee’peess association. AUCKLAND, September 15. Word was received from Warkworth this morning that the employees of Wilson’s Portland Cement Works had gone out on strike. The reason tho men give is that the demands for increased wages have not been granted by tho directors of the company. Tho last agreement made under the auspices of the Federation of Labour expired in August. Mr. Geo. Elliott, chairman of directors of the company, when approached by a reporter this morning, said that tho position was exactly as stated. Tho men had struck for higher wages, which tho company was not prepared to give. He explained that the men had issued a warning that unless their demands were agreed to by Saturday, they would strike. The directors were willing to enter into negotiations, # and wrote down to Warkworth on Saturday afternoon. They discussed the position with the men, and offered to meet them in one or two particulars. In tho evening, however, the Union representatives had announced that they were not prepared to accept the compromise. Wages wore tho trouble, and they were quite satisfied with the conditions of labour and unless the employers agreed to tho whole of the demands made by the Union representatives, they had decided to refer the matter back to tho people. The demands of the men amount practically to an increase all round of Is per shift, in some cases more and in some cases less. The immediate effect of tho strike is that about 140 men are idle and tho works are idle. Taking into consideration that four or five boats engaged in the trade will have nothing to do there will be in all about 250 men affected by the strike, quite apart from tho further effects upon tho coal boats attached to tho industry.