UNION RATES.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20454, 6 November 1934, Page 13

UNION RATES.

Request From Men on Estuary Road Job. DISMISSALS QUESTIONED. Union rates of pay for relief workers on the Estuary Road bridge work were asked for by a deputation which waited on the City Council last evening. The deputation made the allegation taht ten men had been dismissed from the job on political grounds. After the deputation had been heard the matter was referred to the Works Committee with power to act. It was stated that the men had been put off owing to lack of work. , Mr S. Fournier, the first speaker, of the deputation, said that it was contended that men on skilled bridge work should be paid union rates. He furthermore submitted that all men on the jobs should be paid wages adequate to the utility of the work. Work on Bridging. A Ferrymead delegate asked for union rates for men engaged on bridge work at estuary road. He declared that while negotiations were in* hand ten men had been dismissed. As far as the bridging was concerned ten or twelve men were affected. Mr Fournier, in reply to a question said that for the 300 men on the jobs adequate rates were desired. He repeated a previous statement that men had been dismissed on political grounds. Councillor J. S. Barnett, acting-chair-man of the' Works Committee, said there was no question of victimisation on the part of the Works Department. The ten men were selected for dismissal because there was no work for them to do, not because they had refused to work on the • culvert. The deputv-Mayor said that the men were very badly led. He felt sure that if the men themselves called on the council instead of sending intermediaries, who were not relief workers and had nothing to do with the job, the whole trouble would have been settled in a few minutes. Councillor Armstrong said the men were protesting against the “high-hand-ed actions of the assistant engineer. “I object to that,” interjected Councillor Beanland. He said that he had visited the job in company with the city engineer and they had agreed that there was not enough work to keep a.I the men employed. , It was decided by thirteen votes to two that the Works Committee should have power to deal with the matter. Councillor Beanland said he would give the matter urgent attention.