AN AGREEMENT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1285, 14 November 1911, Page 3

AN AGREEMENT.

TAILORESSES' DISPUTE MUTL'AL I'IiKFKKENCE.

The demnmls of the Wellington Tailor-csm-s' Union fur amendment. to (lie present, winking agieemenl were hoard yesterday before III" Conciliation Commissioner 'Mr. I'. llnllyi, anil an agreement nas arrived al alter a silting which hisleil for tivn hours and a half. Air. Andrew ('(illin> acted as agent for (lie Tailoresses' I'ninn, anil its assessor? were .Mrs. 10. Vauglian, and Misses 1(. Moore and X. Koberts. The employers were represented liy Mr. W. tirenfell (agent) and Messrs. Norton, Hell, and King (assessors'. The agreement extends to employers in Wellington city. Carterton, Kkolahuna, Feal.herston, Feilding, Masterton, Greylown, Lower Hutt, Olmknne, Pallia tua, Palmcrston North, Petone, Taihapc, Wanganui, Levin, and Foxton. t'uder hoth the old and now agreements, tailoresses are paid so much per hour on "time statement." This means that a stated time is allowed for cacli job, and tTio hourly rate of pay is based upon this time allowance and not upon the tinie actually spent, in working. The union asked i'or a wages rote of lOd. per hour, but. the rate eventually fixed was Bd. per hour, which is paid at present. An amended piecework log was agreed to, j which contains numerous items not oon-! tained in the log at present in force. Practically tniloresscs have been granted the, samo log as that, under which men engaged in the industry work, but tlip.v ore to receive only tivo-thirds of the wages paid to men. . The number of .hours to be worked per week at ordinary rates (45) stands unaltered. In regard to the term of apprenticeship, it was agreed that the existing clause in the Wellington award should be modified in the direction of doing away with thirdclass hands and increasing the term of ordinary apprenticeship for certain hands. This will bring the agreement, into conformity with awards now' in force at, Napier, Grcymonth, and Nelson. In future, apprentices in the trouser. vest, and skirt departments will be required to work twelve months longer as apprentices than they do now. The new arrangement does not, apply to apprentices at present serving their time. Tho twelve mouths added to the term of apprenticeship was formerly worked by tailoresses as third-class hands. Tho total term of apprenticeship for trouser, vest, and skirt hands is to he three years, and coat hands will serve an apprenticeship of four years. It was agreed that the following holidays should bo observed and paid for:— Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day, and tho Sovereign's Birthday. The union had asked in addition that Boxing Day be observed, but this was not granted. A preference clause was agreed to which gives preference to members of tho Tailoresses' Union. Should there not be a sufficient number of unionists, employers are permitted to employ non-unionists, but the latter must join tho union within seven days from their first taking employment. Members of tho union are to give preference of scrvico to members of the Master Tailors' Onion.