ANOTHER HOLD-UP.

Thames Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 20091, 20 August 1937, Page 3

ANOTHER HOLD-UP.

ON ORAKEI HOUSES. Men Cease Work. DEMAND HIGHER WAGES.. V M.P.’S ACCUSATIONS. * ______ [By Telegraph.—Press Association] AUCKLAND, Aug. 20. Claiming 2/8 an hour as compared with 2/6A, the award rate, over 18( carpenters and carpenters’ labourers employed on the erection of State houses at Orakci, decided, after a stopwork meeting this morning, not to resume work until Monday, and not to resume in any case unless their employers, the Fletcher Construction Company, granted an increase. Subsequently Mr. J. G. Kennerley, secretary of the Carpenters’ Union, said it was not a union strike, but purely a job strike, but naturally the Union would do all possible in the interests of the men.

An official of the employing firm said that when the question was raised earlier in the week, the company suggested it be referred to the Builders’ Association, since it affected all builders and was not a question of any Individual company. Had this been done the whole problem could have been discussed while work was proceeded with. The stop-work meeting lasted about an hour, and Mr. Lyon, M.P., who was present by request, representing the Minister for Labour, protested against being called on after the men had decided to cease work. He accused the men of attempting to secure a privilege for one job at the expense of unionists on other jobs, and were thus embarrassing the Government. When the men later passed a vote of confidence in the Government, Mr. Lyon expressed the opinion that it was merely a gesture.

MR. LYON THREATENED.

BY TRUCULENT STRIKERS.

"BAM HIS WORDS DOWN THROAT!”

[By Telegraph.—Press Association] AUCKLAND, Aug. 20.

Mr. Kennerley said the delegates had met earlier and had asked the Fletcher Construction Company to give them an answer to their demand for increased pay, but a representative of the company was not prepared to give them an answer this morning, so after the Btop-work meeting they walked off the job.

At the stop-work meeting it was alleged that in Wellington the Flctchei Construction Company was paying Id an hour more than the Dominion award rate.

After Mr. Lvon liad accused the men of violating the frades union principles, one of the workmen threatened to “ram Lyon’s words down his throat.'

Mr. Lyon retorted he could do so if he was physically capable.

The member intimated to the men that he had the courage to stand up to anything that was coming to him. Inquiries made among carpenters elicited the fact that 2/6] is the minimum award rate, but some contractors were paying as much as 2/9 per hour. A further cause of complaint is the length of time the Arbitration Court hearing has been delayed, and the men are incensed that a change of venue to Auckland cannot be obtained. In the new claims the men are asking £6 per w r eek, maintaining that the builders can put their business on the same footing as other trades and make the work continuous.