ARBITRATION COURT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 792, 15 April 1910, Page 6

ARBITRATION COURT.

INTERPRETATIONS. PREFERENCE TO UNIONISTS. The Industrial Arbitration Court hag given interpretations of important clauses.} in two Wellington awards. The interpretations were applied for in each case by the Inspector of Awards. The preference clause of the Wellington Carpenters' and Joiners' Award was .: the snbject of one of the interpretations. The question for the Court to answer was:— . "Are employers, in engaging carpenters and joiners to act as working foremen in charge of carpenter--; ing or joinery work, bound to give preference to unionists?" The answer of the Court is as idlows: — "If a.worker ie really and eobstanti- . ally a foreman, then he is not subject to . the provisions of the preference clause. ; The fact that he may* occasionally do . some carpenters' work would not bring' him within the' operation of the clause. If, however, the worker is engaged substantially in doingthe work of a carpen- : ter, although he may also supervise tie ■ work of otE«s, then, lie is'a journeyman, , and subject to the award. In other words,' a.bona fide foreman is not subject to the ' award; but the leading hand on a job ' is subject' to it. Whether in any particular case a worker is to be treated as a foreman or leading hand depends on the circumstances of the caee." .-/Tailors' Award. Clause 17, of .the Wellington Tailor* , Award states that the wages of journeymen . tailors . and pressers '. (other than. , piece workers), shall not be less than £i ■ 15s; per week, and continues: "No deduction ■is- to be made from this weekly wage, save for tune lost ' ttaongh th» ■workers' own default." The question for th« Court was.— "Can an employer who employs a ' weekly wage, hand order such weekly wage hand to take a full week off, owing to slackness of trade, and so escape paying wages during the said week?" : ■ The Court's answer ie:— ' ■ ?■'■• : "An employer who. employs a worker ' under this award on a weekly wage-is not entitled to order such a worker to take a week oS for any cause. So long as the relation of master and servant - continues to exist, the worker must, un- • d«r Clause IT of the award, be paid hie weekly wage without any deduction, save . for time lost through his own default. ,.