ARBITRATION COURT.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18233, 18 November 1924, Page 7

ARBITRATION COURT.

THEATRE EMPLOYEES' DISPUTE

Only two points were in dispute between the theatre employees and their employers when they brought their case before the Court of Arbitration yesterday. His Honour Mr Justice Frazer presided, and with liim were Messrs W. Scott and H. Hunter. ■Mr C. Renn represented the employees and Mr W. C. Prime appear.d for the employers. Mr- Renn said that it had a rather unfortunate historv. In the past the awards had been founded on early experiments in regard to awards in the business and they were based very low.. This had been reflected in later awards, and the employees felt, that the time had arrived for some levelling-up, especially in view of the unusual hours and conditions of employment. The -union asked for wages on the following s c ale:—Ticket-sellers, £2 15a a week; tickettakers, £4 a week; usliers, £2 10s; evening doorkeepers and ushers, 4?1 15s. The rated paid to front-of-the-lnuse employees m Australian ranged from 25 to £0 per cent, above those current in the Dominion, and Mr Kenn submitted that there was no reason for the wide disparity. He e!ressed the fact that the wages claimed did not amount to 2s an hour for tlie hours wo/:ed. Recently, at Fullers' Opera House, the admission charges had been increased, and the displeasure of the. public for this increase was visited upon the attendants, as though thev were personally interested. The Union hoped thao they would benefit by the alteration. . _ , , Mr Prime said that the offer made by the employers was as go:d as the terms which had been -agreed to in Auckland, which was the best show town in Netf Zealand. Decision was reserved. Engine-drivers' Dispute. The dispute between the Canterbury Traction and Stationary Engine Drivers, Firemen, and Greasers' Industrial Union ofWorkers and the employers was heard by 1 the Court in the afternoon. Mr W. C. Prime represented the employers and Mr C. Renn appeared for the The clauses in disuut* were wages, dirt money, special provisions as to freezing works, and minor clauses regarding hours of work.

The union's claims in respect of these clauses were: —Wages: Engine driver, required to have first-class certificate as a stationary-engine driver, 2s 6d per hour; with second-class certificate, 2a 4id per hours for work requiring a traction or locomotive certificate. 2s 6d per hour; work requiring no certificate, for engines of le3s than 144 circular inches and f.bove 49 incfyca, 2s 3d per hour; firemen, 2s 3d per hour;' greasers, 2s 3d per hour. ' •Dirt Money—Workers required to enter flues for the .purpose of cleaning them or to chip and clean the interior of boilers to be paid 53 extra, each day. Hours of Work—Where two or more (shifts nre worked on seven days in" a week, a week a. work shall not exceed six shifts of eight hours each. Shift workers shall bo paid Is per shift above the ordinary rate 3 for all shifts so worked. Applications for exemption were made by the Union Steam Ship Co., the Westport £'• aE - d tLe B J a ekball Coal Co. .The. Court reserved it 3 decision.