FLAXMILL WORKERS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 769, 18 March 1910, Page 2

FLAXMILL WORKERS.

NEW, AWARD. SUMMARY OF THE CONDITIONS, An arbitration award was filed yesterday with Mr. A. Stubbs, clerk of awards, setting out the conditions of employment to operate between tho Manawatu Flaxmills' Employees' Union of Workers aiid 39 employers at Waikanae, Bulls, Oroua Bridge, Foxton, Koputaroa, Moutpa, Napier, Ohakune, Manakau, Kairanga, Shannon,. Tokomaru, Makorua, Wairoa, Levin, Rongotea, Linton, and Waverlcy. The award will operate from April 1, 1010, until: March 31, 1913.

: The. principal terms of the award are as follow:— Hours of labour: The week's work shall not exceed 48. hours, exclusive of time necessarily occupied in getting up steam for ; the, machinery and in attendance on horses. Each employer shallbe entitled to arrange the hours of work according to the exigencies of his particular' business, and the hours may be- worked in day or night shifts, but, in any event, work shall' cease ..not later than 1 p.m. on Saturday.' These provisions shall not apply to oooks or their-assistants.

Overtime: Any time worked in the ll 'e*K beyond these hours shall be paid for at the rate of time and a quarter for the first ten hours, and thereafter at the rate of tune and a half. When overtime work is rendered necessary by reason of breakdowns of the machinery, causing stoppage of work, only ordinary rates shall bo paid. Holidays: The following shall be recognised holidays-New Tear's Day, Good Iriday, Laster .Monday, Labour Day Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. Work done on Christmas Day, Good Friday, or Sundays, shall be paid for at the rate of double time, and work on other holidays shall be paid for at-the.rateof time and a half, provided' thai with, regard to paddockers and fibre carters, the rates shall be:—l or the first tour hours, time and a quarter, and thereafter time and a half. Drivers shall, not be entitled to be paid for attendance on horses on Sundays or holidays. Wages:—The minimum rates of pay shall.be as follow:—Feeders, 15..3d. per hour; head paddockors, Is. IJd. per,hour; bench loaders, Is. Id. per hour; washers (finding their own boots, and aprons), Is. Id. per hour; catchers, assistant , paddockers, sorters, and shakers, Is. per hour; rouseaboiits, ■ IOJd. per hour; drivers, one or more horses, .£2 6s. per week. No deduction shall be made from' drivers' weekly wages lor any other cause than for time lost through the workers' default-. ...The stripper-keeper shall receive not; less than 2s. 6d.'per day, in addition to the wages paid to him in his principal capacity, whether as feeder, engine-driver, or'manager. The minimum rate for • piecework paddocking (which means'all work from taking the fibre off the poles and stacking it in the scutching-shed) shall be, from April l.to September. 30.inclusive, 235. 6d. per, ton; from October 1 to March 31, 20s. per ton. When carting is done, ss. per ton. shall be added. The minimum rate ofjjay for. scutching shall be £1 6s. per ton; scales to be provided by the employer. The, rate for cutting ilax.and the wages- of cooks and their. : assistants shall be settled by agreement. Labour not otherwise specified in the award shall'be paid for at the.rate of Is. per hour. - .Employment of 'Youths: Youths shall be paid the following minimums-.—From 16 to 17. .years of age, 15s. per week; 17 to 18; M] 18, to 19, £1 55.; 19 to 20, £1 10s.; 20' to .21;. £1 15s.' : , ' - ' .

■..Board..of Workers:' Where food is suppliedby the .'employer, workers shall not be charged more than 15s. per week for their board. Workers, shall not smoke ■ cigars or; cigarettes in the. swamp, and shall' ; not smoke at all when handling or in-proximity ,to'dry fibre. If desired, rfn'PjoJSrs A ir.aUaw l . iSl workers ten ■ nnnutes- ; in-thei-forenoon- and afternoon ,ior smoking, deducting pay, for the tim« ofl;--Workers shall-use pipe-cap's, if supplied.,by:ithe.employers. ■ . Under-rate. Workers and: Preference,' etc..:„ihe award.makes'.provision' for lin-uer-ratel workers 'and for preference to unionists. Except as regarrds flax-cutting, tramming, tram-laying, paddocking and scutching, no piecework shall be allowed,, but employers may have all or any part of their work done by contract. 'Milling may be -worked on piecework,- at. rates to be mutuary agreed on. ...Mtiye workers -at the 'Wavedeyfloxmill, worked by,.James,Gordon Eutli'?sf°ffi' a ?4''le AVairoay mill,worked by Michael J., Burke, shall be: exempt from the award... -;In -the event of new. ma-ohineryboiug-introducedor new processes ofjinaimfacture adopted, the.rates of pay for any altered.' work shall be arranged by. mutual agreement, failing which the HoiGourT t0 thC ATbitra -

Nt m Z mo ™ nd ™ was added by the judge d-«/fo Stlcs • Bim) that ths anion ."had ™ f01 ■ atl "ncrease in the wages fixed hlil Jast.oward,. and the emp o£ri asked; for, a .reduction. After hcarinir the parte, the. Court directed them fhold a conference, with a view.to agreeing on a sliding scale of wages, to ■by,-the market price of;flax. No scale no?ntf I tl l « Sreed r Upo ?' ]> ut . °n some other points, the parties had agreed, and the award was : based for the° mos part on the agreement of the parties. ■