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■ i —— ————— —— • I WAR ;BONUS. .TO :BAHJiY MUNTCIP.AIL WORKERS. ADVANCE OF 3/ 2/ AND AOCQRDING TO GRADE. A special meeting of the Bsrry Urban District Council was called on Monday evening lasll., to consider com- munications from the Municipal Ew-j ployoes' Association and the National 'Union of Gas workers, on behalf of the workmen employed hbT the Council1 with rerorence to the I)onus recently granted, and to recei ve ,t,depittittion on the matter. Mr. S. R. Jones, J.P., presided, and there were aLso present. NIrg. J. Mar- shall (vice-chairman), G. Wareham, ffanlos Jones, Howell Willis&is, J. E. Levers, F. C. Milner, D. E. S. Browne, J. Felix Wil-liti.ii;.s, T. Evanis, W. Fowler, E. Walton, F. E. J. Murrell, and W. Beck. The letter from the Municipal Em- ployees' Association Wi18 to the effect that at a meeting of men employed by the Council, the workers expressed thei* disappointment at the decision 01 the Council to pay the bonus granted on the full earnings of the men. They contended that the" ineroa.se should be paid on the weekly earnings, apart from any overtime, and asked the Council to reconsider their decision. H The men are grimly in earnest/' the letter added, and hope that upon re- consideration your members will realise the injustice of the order to the men compelling them to stand off ordinary working hours in lieu of time worked for the convenience of the Council. Therefore they asked for an increase of 3/- per, week all round, apart from overtime. A similar communication was read from the National Union of Gas- workers. With a view to arriving at an amic- able settlement, the deputation, consist- ing of Messrs. R. Llewelyn, W. Har- pur, E. Gee, J. Prince, B. Sheldon, and D. Pierce, was received. Mr. R. Llewelyn explained the ob- iect of the deputation: Notice, he said, had been pasted up in the Gasworks that if a man worked overtime he should stand off for a like term in order that his week's work would not exceed 54 hours. The men thought it was very M il fair that the bonus should be based upon the whole time worked. The Gas and Water Engineer (Mr. T. E. Franklyn) stated that the instruc- tions were that any men working over- time one day should lose time the fol- lowing day if convenient. The only reason for enforcing this rule was in order to benefit tihe men. For instance, » labourer obtaining 29/6 a week also got a bonus of 3/- a week. But if he worked a few hours' overtime he would only get a 2/- bonus. By limiting the overtime, therefore, the Engineer thought that the difficulty would be overcome. It seemed, however, that it had raked up difficulties. Mr. Felix Williams moved that the present iiato of bonus be observed, but on a basis of a six-day week. Mr. Brwfcne: Can we pass a resolu- tion without first, suspending the stand- ing' orders. The Oh airman: No. Mr. Browiie 1 thereupon moved, and Mr. Levers seconded, that the standing orders be suspended. Mr. Murrell strongly objected to allowing tihe.men a larger bonus than at present allowed. Mr. Howell Willkms pointed out that private employ its in the town were paying a higher bonus than the Council. He contended that it was I easier f.r those sitting around the table to live than men getting 30/- a week. They were not looking a. it from the right point of view, because the object of the bonus was to assist people to live. When a man was called upon to work overtime, he did so for the convenience 1 of his employers, and it should not In- terfere with tho bonus. Mr. Fowler considered that the men had a. grievarnw, especially when they were ordered to lie off" after work- ing overtime. Mr. T. Evans of the same opinion. Mr. Milner: To tax the men's over- "tkn=« was not the idea of the Council. I don't object to any m-an getting an «4v&m;c. The Council always tried to Ao the best possible thing their em- ployees. Mr. R, Llewelyn further pointed oix that the men objected to the war bonus on principle, and considered that it should be regarded as an advance of wages. He added that poace was -declared the prices of food would re- j main high for some years. They had it on Government authority "<bat food prices by the end of the war, .sand. for some time after, would have iypne up ftbout thirty per cent., and the .Board II)f Trade returns now showed th.lt the advance in the price of foodstuffs jva-s 20 per The resolution rescinding the standt -j ing orders was carried. Mr. Browne: I wou 1d be no party in granting a bonus as an increase of Wages. Although it is a war bonus, it hy no means follows that the bonus will discontinue, when peace is declared. K will probably continue until conditions are nomml. I move that the bonus be paid on a H&is of a .six-flay week. -=-=-=- Mr. Levers -seconded. Mr. Murrell.: J. move, an .amendment that we grant .tike .bonus .as.an .increase of wages. The Chairman.: We are deciding whether the bonus shall .bebased upon a six-day week qj not. The resolution was carried. It was further proposed by .Mr. Browne that a bonus of 3/- bo granted to men receiving less than 35/- .He considered that the working-men were showing extraordinary restraint, com- pared with the attitude of the em- ployers. The policy of the latter was one of supply and demand." If one wanted the manufacturers' goods they k,IILSt pay his price. What if the workers turned round And saad, "You want us, and you will 'have to pay our priae." The seamen might demand a wage of £ 10 a week, and if they stuck out for it they would get it. Mr. Howell Williams seconded Mr. Felix Williams moved an amendment that the bonus be paid exactly tfee saane basis a« before. Mr. G. Wareham seconded. We must consider," said Nf r, Lovers in supporting the amendment, that the money has to be obtained ¡ from the rMes, and does not fall like liiuanna from heaven." The Chairman: We realise that the money will have to come from the pockets of the people, who have had their wages curtailed rather than ad- vanced, and it, is the Council's duty to hold the balance between those who make the application and those who have to pay. We want to take the I ratepayers into our. confidence, and if the amendment is carried I think we can look the ratepayers in the face. I strongly appeal to all the men em- ployed'by this Council to assist us to do what is right to the town generally. I I don't blame the men at all; they should get as much for their labour as possible, but this is a difficult and try- ing period in the history of our town and the nation, and my appeal is that the men should meet us in the same spirit as they have always shown. I have always felt delighted with the splendid spirit shown by our employees in the past. The Chairman, Messrs. Marshall, 1 Milner, Wareham, Murrell, Levers, Walton-, Fowler, Felix Williams, Jas, j Jones, and Evans voted for tfhe amend- ment, and Messrs. Beck, Howell Wil- liams and Browne were against* A further amendment was moved by Mr. Beck that all employees above twenty years of age, receiving less than 50/- per week, be given an advance in wages of 2/ -,I),er week; all those under twenty years of age and getting less than 30/- a week to receive 1/- rise in wiages, and 1/- bonus. The bonus was described by Mr. Beck as abso- lute bogey." He thought it had come to stay, and the position after the war would warrant remaining. They might just as well give an advance in wages as a bonus. There was no seconder. With ♦the exception of Mr. Browne, the whole of the Council voted for Mr. Felix TV ill Jams' amendment, which was carried. This* concluded the business, and the deputation thanked the Council for the fair and courteous- manner in which they had been received.

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