SILENT PROTEST.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 936, 5 December 1933, Page 5

SILENT PROTEST.

Less Work Done by Relief Workers. CITY COUNCIL REPORT. The general standard of work by relief workers employed by the City Council has dropped considerably recently and the slackening off is progressive, according to a report presented to the council meeting last evening by the Works Committee. The opinion is advanced that it is attributable to the last 10 per cent cut in wages, and the recommendation was made that the council approach the Unemployment Board urging upon it strongly the desirability of restoring the “cut.” The council decided to adopt the course suggested. The report stated that the remarks did not apply to all the gangs, a? some of the men did their work quietly and well, and it was the usual practice to keep those better men in separate gangs, The council’s officers who had charge of relief workers stated that the slackening off had been noticeable more par. ticularly since the last 10 per cent cut in relief works, and in their opinion might be attributed to the fact that the men. having no other means of demonstrating their disapproval of the reduced relief works, had become disgruntled and consequently showed less interest in their work. While the committee, of course, did not condone slackening in any class of work, more particularly in men receiving a subsidy from the Council, and had advised the men that an improvement was expected, it was of opinion that the men considered they had a genuine grievance and that the restoration of the cut would to a great extent remove the grievance and result in a greatly improved standard of work With that end in view, the committee recommended that the Council approach the Unemployment Board strongly urging upon it the desirability of restoring the cut.