ARBITRATION COURT.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16164, 19 March 1918, Page 4

ARBITRATION COURT.

OHRISTCHURCH SITTINGS. The Christcliurch sittings of the Court of Arbitration opened yesterday morning, the -Court consisting of his Honour Mr Justico Stringer (president), Mr W. Scott (employers' representative), and Mr J. A. McCullough (employees' representative). GAS WOHKEKS' DISPUTE. The Oiiristciuireh Ga6 \Vorkei~s Union, represented by .w r C. Renn, asked for certain slight alterations to the agreement recently entered into with the employers, the chief item being a request that in the clause referring to minimum wages, the word "engineer" should be altered to '•engineers.'' Mr Kenn said that there were really three engineers employed in the Christcliurch shops of the Gas Company. The company held that the foreman was the only engineer, the others being engineers' assistants, while the union contended that all were engineers. Mr Braacinead, for the employers, objected to the application in toto. The parties, ho said, had entered into a complete agreement before the Conciliation Council last December, and this I was a deliberate attempt to upset that legal agreement. If the application were granted there would be no more agreements in Christcliurch; the employers would, simply object, and every dispute would go to the Court. Father, Mr Broadhead contended that the workers referred to were merely repaircrs. H© asked tha-fc th© wliolo a.p~ plication should b© thrown out. Walter Bcalc, one of the men affected gave evidence as to th.e sTcilled nature of the work he and his companions had to do, while A. W. Price, outside manager for the Gas Company, stated that, in his opinion, the work was most elementary, and would he done hy apprentices in an ordinary engineer s shop. _ _li. Mr Renn pointed out that the engineers . were not represented at the conciliation proceedings. ... , Mr McEwan, on behalf of the Amal- , gamated Society of Engineers, objected to the agreement being given effect to, unless the wages of the workers referred to were brought into line with those obtaining in the Engineers' award, and the Metal Workers' award. His Honour said he considered that if an application of this sort were granted without there being any special circumstances, it would destroy the whole conciliation system. However, the Court would consider the matter. In all other ways, a complete agreement had been reached. AGREEMENT WITHDRAWN. On behalf of the Canterbury Timber Yards and Sawmill Workers' Union, Mr H. Hunter asked that a 10 per cent, war bonus should be granted. A complete agreement, he stated, had been arrived at, but, unfortunately *.ne union disagreed, with what its assessors had done, and wanted the bonus in addition to what had been agreed to. Mr W. Goss, for the employers, objected to the re-opening of the case, on the grounds that everything had previously been agreed to at a conference between the employers and representatives of the union, who had full power to enter into the agreement, which was subsequently; properly entered into at the Conciliation Council. The union's assessors had then preferred a flat rate to a bonus. If the point were to be upheld, Mr Goss asked that the case should be re-opened in toto. Mr Hunter replied that it might be as well to withdraw the present application, re-open the case, and have tho whole matter threshed, out again. Eventually the Court permitted Mr Hunter to withdraw the whole application for an award, Mr {Joss's application that the agreement be made into an award being refused, as the only application before the Court was that of the union.

INCREASED BONUS WANTED. An increase in the war bonus from 3s per week to 3d per hour was asked by Mr McEwan, on behalf of the North Canterbury Tinsmiths-, and Sheet Metal Workers' Union. Me McEwan said that the men, with their bonus, now received Is oid per hour. In Otago and Southland the pay was Is 7£d per hour, vhilo in the North Island the ruling rate was Is 9d. The Canterbury late was quite inadequate. Mr Broadhead said that the employers were prepared to offer 2d an hour, which they thought was all i>he trade in Canterbury could stand. His Honour said that the Court was inclined to put the Canterbury men on the same footing as those in Otago and Southland. It would, however, look through the award, and give its decision later.

A MUTUAL AGREEMENT. In regard to the Canterbury Tanners' and Fellmongers 5 award, Mr F. Ellis asked that an increase in wages arranged at a conference of employers and employees some time ago, should be ratified by the Court and the award amended in that direction. Mr Ellis pointed out that when the arrangement was entered into the employers agreed that the union should make such an application to the Court, but they.now objected. Mr Broadhead said that the increase in wages had been given voluntarily by the employers. It had since been discovered that an application to amend the award in the manner indicated could probably not be done, as the rate of wages was fixed by the current award. However, the employers were paying the additional wages, and he thought the union could rely upon the increased rate being paid without having any mandate from the Court. It would not be right to ask the Court to alter the wages while the current award was in effect. Mr Ellis agreed that the increase had been voluntary, and was - being paid by most employers. His Honour said that, without some defect in the current award, he n.is afraid its terms could not be altered by the Court. However, as the agreement arrived at had been the result of voluntary action on the part of the employers, the Court hoped and expected that all the employers would abide by, and pay, the increase :n vages agreed to.

"MISCELLANEOUS. Applications by'the Retail Softgoods Workers' Union and the Shearers Union to add parties to their respective awards were granted. The agreement arrived at before the Ooi.ciliation Council in regard to tne JMirniturc Trade "Workers award, wns, on the application of the union, made into an award. , In the compensation rase of Johnnnsen (Mr Hunt) v. the KmgMr Hunt said that the Crown had intimated its intention to pay the claim, and all that remained to decide was the question of allocation. His Honour intimated the matter might be fixed in Chambers. In the ease of Smith v. "the Canterbury Frozen Meat Co., a claim for compensation. Mr lies wick, for the plaintiff, said that the money had been paid into Court. The matter of allocating the money still remained, as the father had died as the result of the accident for which the claim was made, and the mother had committed suicide shortly afterwards. An order was made for the provisional payment of the money to the Public Trustee, to be disbursed bv him. COMING FIXTURES. Fixtures for the remainder of the sittings were arranged as follows: — Brain v. Elisor, claim for compensation, Thursday. 10.30 a.m. Morris v. Moffatt and Mason v. "Williams Bros., Thursday afternoon. Grocers Assistants' Dispute (application regarding female workers), Friday, 10 a.m. General Labourers' Dispute (application for increased war bonus), Fridav, 2 p.m.