CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 17990, 6 February 1924, Page 6

CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

_ ® CITY COUNCIL LABOURERS. A Conciliation Council met yesterday to discuss tho wages of the labourers employed by the Christchurch City Council, the Commissioner (Mr "W. H. liagger) presiding. The assessors for. the City Council were Messrs W. H. "Winsox, 0.. W. B. Anderson, and J. W. Beanland, and-for the TTmon, Messrs Xi. Sanders, W. Annant, and it. Worrail., xi.oua parties at tne oaaei upon pracucauy every clause exwept taoae r«leiling w> wages. ■ ' iuo jiuuia or work agreed to were those uai lortu i-u bom tne Unions claim ana me uuuuiu-umiu. Xlieso wiae. citjxn, nuurs a uay lur nve days or tho week ~en <.bu u..m. and b p.w.J, and lour nouiu on *>atuiu*ys, uetween V.oo a-ou. and noon, men doing oueec cleaning and einuiar v/oxk to start earlier u nectwdiry, it was temporarily agreed,'without discus-: aion, mat men employed as -reiuse inters, pipe layers, ■ kerb belters, tar workers, anu m loading, ciimtars, and spreading meuu, oiiouid Do paid' ija an nour m audition to tne minimum rate. Men sweeping and cleaning Bireeia and'cnanneis were to receive tid a dayextra. , " - ■ ' It was. agreed that where work was-out-side tne city Boundary tne workers should travel, to it in -trie Council's time.. ,Tiie Union asued lor a 'minimum rate of 2s an hour for men employed on concrete work, pick and Bhovei work, . sewer work, laying and cleaning drains, sweeping and cleaning streets, cutting grass, gardening, digging graves, road and path tormation joiner than tarring), screening materials, and work oi a similar nature. The Union asked lor £& 10s a week for batn attendants. I'be counter-proposals provided for a wage of Is Bjd an hour, plus £d .bonus.' Mr "Worrail compared labourers' rates in other centres, and urged that the City Council labourers' wages enould be brought up to the basic 'wage. After a , retirement, the employers offered a wage rate of Is lOd an hour, with no Council bonus; a sum of jjd an hour ior the special services, and overtime 2a 6d an hour tor the first two hours, and double time thereafter. This offer had the effect of cancelling the agreement on the rate of special services,. which was. come to at the beginning of the sitting. Mr "Worrail said the men would be willing to accept thnt oSer, providing the employers' assessors made the extra sum for the special services Id instead of Jd. The Union assessors discussed the matter among themselves, and then announced that they would be willing to accept the terms oflered, including the £d for special services. Tho claim for bath attendants' wages was deleted. A complete agreement was accordingly arrived at. The award will come into "lorce on April