BOOKBINDERS' DEMANDS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1517, 13 August 1912, Page 6

BOOKBINDERS' DEMANDS.

Tho Conciliation Council sat yesterday in connection with the dispute which has arisen between tho New Zealand Bookbinders' and Paper Rulers' Trade Society and the employers. Mr. P. Unity presided. A preliminary conference was held earlier ill the day, the union being represented by Messrs. Win. Naughton, Win. Burn, and C. Johnston, with M. C. V. Noot as assessor. The employees in the dispute are representedbv the following assessors:—Herbert Coull, Hugh Douglas, and Louis Whitcombe. Tho following is a general statement of the claims of tho union:—

Hours and Wages. The hours of labour to be 4S per week; the regulation of hours to be mutually agreed on between the employers and the employees in each establishment. The minimum wage for competent journeymen who are required to work the full iortyeight hours shall be .£3 10s. per week. Competent journeymen who are employed as casual hands shall be paid not less than time and a third per hour. "Casual workers" shall mean men whose continuous employment is for less than a week. Overtime shall be paid for at the rate of time and a third for overtime worked on any days except Sundays and holidays. Double tinie shall bo paid for all time worked on Sundays and time_ and a half for work on the following holidays:—New Year's i day, Easter Monday> Xabour Day, King's Birthday, Boxing Day, Anniversary Dav, nnd Prince of Wales's Birthday. Outside the city of Wellington (in lieu of Princo of Wales's Birthday or Anniversary Day) any local holiday may be substituted. No work shall be done on Christmas Day or Good Friday, which shall be paid for as holidays at ordinary time rates. Under-rate Workers. With regard to under-rato workers any journeyman who considers himself not capable of earning the_ wage hereinbefore prescribed, may lie paid such less wage, as shall be fixed in writing by tho local inspector of awards, upon the application of the worker after 21 hours' notice in writing to the secretary of the union, who shall, if he so desires, be heard.on such application. ' Apprentices. . Any employer, taking an apprentice shall bo deemed to' have undertaken the obligation which he agrees to perform .(as a duty enforcable under this award) of | teaching such apprentice the trade, and shall pay such apprentice not less than tho undermentioned rate of wages :—For tho first .year, 10s. per week; second year, 12s. Gd. per' week; third year 155.; fourth year, .£1; fifth 'year, ■£1 55.; and sixth year ,£1 ' lOs. apprentices jvlios'e wages do riot exceed 10s. per week shall be paid overtime at the rate of not loss than 6d. per hour, and those whose wages exceed 10s. per week at the rate of not. less. than 9d.. 'pei' hour. Tho' period' of apprenticeship shall be six years, but throe months' probation shall he allowed the first employer of any apprentice to determine his fitness, such three months to be included in the period of apprenticeship. At the end of the period of apprenticeship tho employer shall, give ths apprentice a certificate to show that ho has served liis apprenticeship. Tho proportion of apprentices to journeymen shall be as follows:—One for the house and ono for every three journeymen who. have been regularly employed for two-thirds of tho year, with a lipiit of four to a shop.

Preference. The preference clause states:—lf and after tho union shall so amend its rules as to permit any person (now in, the trade and in this industrial district and any person who may hereafter reside in this industrial district, anil who is a competent journeyman) to become a member of such union upon payment of an entranco fee not exoeeddng 55.. and of subsequent payments not exceeding 6d. per week, upon a written application of the person so desiring to join the union, he shall give notice in writing of suc.h amendment with a copy thereof, to tho employers, and, in such case and there- - after, employers rfh-all employ members of the union in preference to non-mem-bers. provided that there are members of the union equally qualified with nonmembors to perforin the work required to be done. Employers in employing journeymen shall not discriminate against members of tho union, and shall not (in the engagement or dismissal of journeymen or in (Hie condiuct of their business), do anything for the purpose of injuring the union. Tho statement also provides clauses stating the work which journeymen and apprentices will be required to carry out. Employers' Proposals. A number of counter proposals were put in by tlie employers, some of tho principal being: "The minimum wage for competent jouraeymien bookbinders or paper rulers shall bo not less than .£3 per week." "Competent journeymen and casual workers shall bp paid not less than. Is. •iW.'per hour." "Casual" shall mean a worker whose continuous employment is not for less than a week. With regard to overtimo double time shall be paid for all time worked on Sundays, Christmas Day, and Good Friday. The .employers agree to tho preference clause, also to the apprentices' rato of wages. No agreement was arrived at at the meeting. ■