A NEW AWARD SOUGHT.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20491, 9 March 1932, Page 9

A NEW AWARD SOUGHT.

ELECTRICAL WORKERS' APPLICATION. CONCILIATION COUNCIL SITTING. The application by the , electrical workers of Canterbury, Nelson, and Westland for a new award was before a Council of Conciliation yesterday, Mr P. Hally, Conciliation Commissioner, presiding. A cross-citation was lodged on hehalf of the employers. The assessors for the employers, as set out in the crosscitation papers, were Messrs C. S. Thompson, H. Bourke, J. I. Smail, and D. I. Macdonald, all of Christehurch, and Xj. C. Yickery, Springs-Ellesmere Power Board,' Leeston. For the, union, the assessors were: Messrs A. «>'. Cromie, J. A. Wills, both of Nelson, A. Lemin, Greymouth, M.- B. Johnson, J. Barter, and G. T. Thurston, all of Christehurch. Workers' Claims. The applicants' claims were for a 35-hour week, worked on five days of the week, Monday to Friday inclusive, and made up of seven hours to be worked between 8.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. with a 45-minute break for. lunch. In each 3J hours' work a qaUrter of an hour smoking time was asked, or permission to smoke during working hours. The - minimum rate' of wages claimed for journeymen was £6 a week, and it was also claimed that where a worker had been directed by his employer to take charge, or where a worker was giving instructions on any job where one or more workers were employed, he should be paid 2s 6d a day extra above the minimum rates, provided the job extended for one day or more. Casual employees should be paid. 20 per cent, more than one-fifth of the weekly rates for each day or part thereof. Where an extra rate above the minimum was paid | by any employer to any employee for | special merit, the margin so paid should j continue as long as he remained in the j position. Dirt-money at the rate of Is 6d a day should be paid, and all work done in, excess of the hours mentioned should count as overtime and be paid for at double ruling rates. Should a worker be required to work after midnight and cease work before the ordinary time of starting next morning, he should be deemed to have worked all night and be paid accordingly. No worker should work continuously for more than 24 hours, including meal times, and for work during meal times double time should be paid; meal hours during overtime to be: Tea, 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.; supper, 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.; and crib time, from 3 a.m. to 3.30 a.m. Employers should allow meal money at 2s 6d a meal when workers were called on to work overtime after 6 p.m. on Mondays to Fridays or after noon on Saturdays. No worker should be required to work overtime on Union meeting nights or on Friday nights. Any worker employed on those nights should be paid double overtime rates and no employee should work more than 56 hours in any one pay period. Double time was elaimed for Sun* days and holidays, also six days' annual leave on full pay. When a worker was required to travel by train or steamer, first-class fa,res should be allowed. Piecework or bonus work should

be prolubited' and preference was* asked for unionists. '* i Employers' Counter-claims. The- employers -counter-claimed -for--* 44-hour week and eight hours per day on five days ■of - the ;week,_ and. four hours on the half-holiday.. .A minimum rate of 2s 2d per hour .was sought, and it -was claimed that men placed in charge of three or -morp journeymen should be-paid at no]t less . than ■2s 4d an hour. All overtime should' be paid for at :the rate of time-and-a-quarter for the first four h6urs and time-and-a-half thereafter. No employee Bhould be required to continuously without a meal, or continuously for more than 24 hours, including meal time, except by mutual agreement. Anyone having worked all. dAy and night, and being required to continue into the next day should be paid time-and-a-half in excess of the first eight hours.. Employers- should allow: meal money at Is 3d a meal, when men were called on to work overtime, after 6 p.m. on five days- of the. week, or after 1 1 •p.m. on the half-holiday, provided that sueh workers could not reasonably get home to meals. Supper and crib-time, when working overtime, should be paid for. For work done on Sundays and holidays time-and-a-half rates should oe paid. . . ; . . : Where a worker was required to travel by train or steamer second class fares should be provided. .Nothing in the award should ap'ply"to employed by radio dealers" as seryicemen and whose duties were- restricted' to ser- ■ vicing 1 wireless instruments,'; provided that such duties were limited,to the place of -installation, also provided the serviceman held a certificate of limited registration issued by the Electrical Wiremen'a Registration Board of New Zealand. V ; The parties sat all day "in committee. Good progress was made and it is hoped to complete the fitting today. :