ARBITRATION COURT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1584, 30 October 1912, Page 13

ARBITRATION COURT.

TWO AWARDS. LETTERPRESS MACHINISTS. Rotary machinists have been excluded from the provisions of tho Letterpress Machinists' award, which has now been filed with the Clerk of Awards (Mr. K Stopker).

Tin; award provides for .1 48-hour week, to be worked as prescribed in special regulations. Feeders and assistants on letterpress machines shall not do any "making ready," except in assisting the machinist, nor shall they alter the adjustment of any machine except such as is necessary in washing up or starting and stopping tho machine. Employers are not limited as to the number of machines to bo worked by any journeyman. The usual award holidays are given, with the addition of show day in Christchurch. Machinists engaged in printing | notvsnapers will have holidays on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. The award operates from November 18, 1912, to October 25, 1915, in tho Northern, Wellington, Canterbury, Otago, and Southland Industrial Districts.

In n memorandum affixed to the awaTd, the Court says that the minimum wage for letterpress machinists has been tixed at £3 ss. per week in tho four principal cities, and in tho principal towns of the four industrial districts affected, and at £2 15s. per week in other parts of those districts. The minimum wago for litho- ■ graphic transferrers and machinists has been h'xed at £3 ss. per week throughout tho four industrial districts. "The Workers' Association asked to havo wages and other conditions h'xed for machinists and other workers employed on. rotary machines. The association was entitled to make this application, and provisions as to these workers would have been included in the present award if the association had placed before the Court sufficient information to enable an award to be made/ This, however, wns not done, and in uonsequeraco the Court has been unable to deal with this branch of the dispute. The association called evidence to prove tho wages paid to rotary machinists in some of- tho larger offices, but furnished hardly any information as to tho hours or wages of broke hands and assistants. It was proved that one assistant was being paid .£1 ss. per week, while under the scale of wages proposed by the association he would be entitled to -receive- £3 10s. per. week. This rather suggests' that the scale proposed by thi> association cannot be taken as a fair guido in the matter, and as {lie employers did not assist by making any proposals oi by offering any Information at to existing conditions, the Court is unable to deal with the, subject. Whoro tho Court is asked for the first time to regulate wages aad conditions in connection with any. particular branch of industry, it is necessary for tho applicant to put before the Court fully and fairly the existing conditions in that particular branch. This has not been dono in the present case."

BAKERS' WORK. NOT TO INCLUDE NIGHT SHIFT. Tho Court of Arbitration, has declined to provide for a ""night shift" in tho Bakers' and Pastrycooks' Award, which has noiy been, filed. The Court says that the "night shift" in Auckland appwira to have been agreed to in 1905 by the repres°ntatives of the Auckland Union without much consideration.. It is objected to strongly by the workers and the employers. in centres other than Auckland appear to be able to carry on their business- without such a shift. "We ore not convinced that such a shift is really necessary," says tho award. "The Court has either to abolish it in Auckland or to extend it in the way asked for by tho employers, and under tie circumstances the Court has decided to abolish it. Provision has been made under which a journeyman employed to make dough by machinery or hand may start work at any hour, but he must bo paid ss. per week extra.

"Tho minimum ■ wage for a foreman baker or pastrycook has been fixed at £3 55., and for a journeyman baker or pastrycook at. £2 15s. This is an increase on tho minimum fixed by existing awards, and involves also tho abolition of the separate minimum wago for table hands. The minimum wago of £2 Bs. per week has been fixed for a baker's labourer, and.th« number of labourers who may be employed is. limited." v Uhe award operates from November. 18, 1912, to October 25, 1915.