ARBITRATION COURT.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17118, 13 April 1921, Page 5

ARBITRATION COURT.

- YESTERDAY'S PROCEEDINGS. i The Court of Arbitration—Mr Justice Frazer, president, Mossm Wra. Scott, employers' representative, and J. A. .McCullovgh, employees' representaltive-resumod yesterday. LINOTYPE MECHANICS. In this dispute Mr F. Cooper appeared for the employers, and Mr C. Kenn for theUnion. ' , _ , Tha Union's demands were:—Hours of work. 42 vex week; work in excess of i per doy to be paid for as overtime. Wages: Head mechanic. £G 15s per week, first assistant £5 15s, second assistants los. Souths: •first year £1 15s, second £2 15s, third £3 ]s= thereafter to rate as second assistant. Ail night workera to receive 10 ter cent, abovo these rates. Overtime: Time and a half for the first three hours, thereafter double time. Holidays: Double rates to be paid on Sundays, Christmas Day. ieors Day, or. Good 'Friday; on Labour Day, iime and a half. On completion of twwye months' service workers covered, by the award to be granted fourteen days' continuous holiday on lull pay. The Court's preference and underrate workers' ohrases were asked for, also tb.it the operation of tbo award lie limited to the city of Christohurch. Mr Konn said that no agreement was arrived at before the Council of Conciliation in October last. This was the first occasion tlsjt an award covering these workers had been asked for in the Dominion; there was no av.-a.-J in the Dominion sit presenit governiu» this class of work. Ho gave a. general description of the nature of the work, and said that the workers were specialists and expjrls. The wages asked for had been de-uid'-d upon about nine months ago, and since then the Court, by amendments of awards and orders, had increased the wages of,oH3ier workers; despite this, the Union's ' wages' claims were based on moderation, and did not ask for wages as high .as those paid for the same work in oUier centres. lie .called evidence in support cf the Union's claim, and put in'telegrams relating to wages paod i:i Auckland and Wellington. Mr Coopsr put in information n© to tfi© rales paid in Auckland. Dealing with the Union's demands, he said that ihe employers submitted that men looking iiiter mar chinos must work slightly longer hours than those operating the machines; it was thcr e-. fore .asked that tho horn's per week should bo 44, and that any work in excess of 8-hours be paid as overtime. .It was desired that youths should serve five--years before becoming journeymen; and that adjusters and eleuners should be pirfsons* who have'had lour. yeu-ia' expsrienee with linotype machines. As to pr'oparly qualified 'mechanics, it. was suggested that they should receive, the riding rates for engineers—2s, i plus :2jfd -per hour. The employers agreed to the Union's' clauses dealing with niirht workers, overtime, .termination of engagement, preference, underrate workers, and scope of /award. They would agree to an award for one year. Mr A. G. Henderson addressed the Oou# regarding the demands for holidays,-and raid that: the employers were jelling', f o grant linotype mechanics the JiolioTays oTdmnwly observed in newspaper offices—Christinas Day and Good Friday and Sundays—and one week's holiday annually- on full pay. jn lieu of oi-dinary public holidays not observed in ■ newspaper offices. The Court reserved its decision. MUSTERERS A^ T D PACKERS. y Application was made for musWers, packers, and. drovers to receive the "3s bonus. . Mr C. E. Baldwin, for the Umon,_ feud -that the men had worked during the period to which the. bonus was applicable. Mr W. Nicholson, for the employers opposed the application. He said- thalt the iward' was made last July, when values were a.t the- peak, and pro.-ipects and conditions were incomparably better than, to-day. Wool and frozen meat Lad become a- drug on the market, and even at the present rates of pay <fte industry, especially in the back country, did -not pay. The better class of wool had depreciated" in value 60 per cent., and couMcJraok 80.per cent. The cost, of living did not' affect these ■workers,, who had their food found. i ", . , ~ Evidence a* -to tie present state of the industry wasTgiven by Leicester Matson and A Boyle. .. ■"' , , . Alex. McDonald,- manager of •*• labour stated, that the..... demand jkfor musterers had fallen .off;, he had onfy -engaged two recently- • •..'.- " ' : .. j/''- . . Mr Baldw'in.-.addressed.y;he Co»rkfttjfeme, length, men who "employed inusterers waaj.not tendered. '/■;.-'■: , 'fi.i: ~ . His Honour said that "the' Court would give full consideration 'to the representations, made. ; , ' .*.•'. CRUTCHEBS AND SHEARING MACHINE EXPERTS./ .-•. I In this dispute "Mr W. Nicholson represented the employers and Mr .C. Grayndler represented the union. . ■•; , ■For crutching by hand or mafcuine the union asked that the rates should not be less'than 9s per 100, wigging Is per 100 extra; when employed by the day, not less .than 30s per day, with rations. Shed workers: By the week £i, by the hour 2s.2}d.' Shearing machine experts, rates for engine-drivers, exporting, and grinding', not leas than £1 per day or £6 per week in eheds with four to eight hands; 25s per day or £7 per week in sheds with over eight hands. • •Mr Grayndler asked that, after hearing the evidenoo m-Christchurch, the Court should hold over its decision till it had heard the evidence to be tendered in Wellington. •Mr Nicholson -raised no objection to this, and the Court agreed to follow the course suggested. , ':, ': ' Mr Grayndler outlined the necessity for an award, and called evidence to show the degree of skill required by crutchers and- experts and the rates- of wages paid. Mr Nicholson submitted that crutching was a matter that could not be, equitably covered under an. award under varying.conditions. The- time "was most inopportune to bring in further restrictions. He called evidence to show that crutching did . not call for any great degree of skill, and that "expertinr did not call for the special skill that the ..union's witnesses alleged was required. The Court reserved its' decision. , .' , .: The Court adjourned till, this, morning. ...-•_,„ AWARDS MADE. The amended award in the saddle, harness, and collar-makers' dispute is made on similar lines ito ,the Dunedin and 'Auckland awards. Wages: Journeymen la 10id per; hour, plus a bonus of 3j}d pV hour; apprentices after serving five years may be .employed at. not less than £2 5s per week. . Tho Court's, memorandum, to the award in respect of the Christchurch operative bootmakers (boot repairers' section) states that the Court has fixed rates for bespoke work on the basis of the Giebornc pronouncement in respect of skilled workers, and has added the usual bonus. Three farthings of the bonus ordinarily payable to other journeymen has been incorporated in the basic wage fixed for such workers and the bonus reduced accordingly; in this respect the reoeut Dunedin award has been followed. With .certain, exceptions the rate of wages for all workers coming within the scope of. the award is fixed at Is lOd per hour, plus a bonus of 8d per hour. ORDERS REGARDING BONUS. . In the tailoring trade (shops)) application the Court, in a memorandum, states that it included former bonuses on tho piecework rate of Is H& fixed by tha award; it now added the November 1920 bonus. Tramway Employees—The Court has granted a- bonus of 21d per hour, to operate and take effect from. November Ist, 1920. The Court's memorandum, states: —The ground on which the application for increased basio rates of pay was made was that tho Wellington .tramways employees had recently, been granted higter rates than those payable tinder this award. As the Court indicated in ite judgment of June 30th, 1920 (Book'.of Awards, Vol: 21, p. 997), such a. matter is not a "relevant consideration," within the meaning of the Act. The Court cannot treat this as a case in 1 which an alteration in basio rates-can properly be made in conformity with what is known as the Gisborne Pronouncement, though the arguments put forward would be relevant if the .matter came before the Court in the form of a. new award. The Court has granted tho usual November 1920 bonus. There was a suggestion that the tramway employees had not been accorded the same treatment as workers id" other occupations, but the Court has declined to amend basic, rates of wages, in the fellmongers and tanners', boot manufacturing, timber, and clothing trades during the currency of awards. . The bonus provided for Christchurcn city licensed hotel workers is 13s per week to all male workers, and 6s 6d to female workers. The same bonus is provided in respect of Christchurch private hotel, etc., employees. The Christehnrch hairdressers' assistants bonus has been fixed at 9s per week. Orders have been made in respect of applications by the Canterbury local bodies' clerks, cashiers; and office employees; Canterbury, clerks, cashiers (gas companies' empJoyeesj; the same (implement manufacturers .employees); the same (publishing companies); Canterbury tailbiesses (shirt, white, and silk workers); North Canterbury bakers and pastrycooks; Canterbury motor-car and horse drivers. :■ '