PHASE OF UNIONISM.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1836, 23 August 1913, Page 3

PHASE OF UNIONISM.

, MEMO. BY COURT. INCIDENT IN SADDLERS' CASE. Tho award of the Arbitration Court in fcho Wellington saddlery trade haa been filed. Tho hours of work axe fixed nt 48 par .week. In Wellington and adjacent ( suburbs (including Petono and Lower j'Hntt) work is to cease at 12 o'clock on Saturdays, and in other parts of the dis--1 tract the local half-holiday may bo subI'stituted for Saturday in this respect. _ ]• ,• Overtime 13 to be at the rate of time 'and a quarter for tho first four, houirs, time aud a half for tho two following houra, double time after that, and double tirao on Sundays. Tim& lost through a worker's own default during any ono week is to bo made up before any overtime is paid. Orily three classes of workers are recognised—journeymen (including women), apprentices (including improvers), female stitchers and machinists. Journeymen are to be paid not less than Is. 2d. per- hour, and wages are to be paid fully once a week. Piecework may be done by arrangement. The minimum weekly wages for apprentices are:—First year, 10s.; seoond year, 155.; third year, £1; fourth year, £1 7s. Gd.; fifth year, £1 15s. After serving his period of apprenticeship, an improver may be employed for six months at £2 per week, and for o further six montli3 at £2 55.. per week. Female stitchers are to be paid weekly: First year, 7s. Gd.; seoond year, 12s. Gd.; third year, 17s. Gd.; fourth year, £X 55.; first six months of fifth year, £1 10s., thereafter £2. Important Matter and Court's Memo.

At the hoaring of the dispute tho employers objected to the preierence clause contained in a recommendation from the Conciliation. Council, and the Arbitraiifon Court substituted another clause. The clause contained in the recommendation made it obligatory on any non-unionist employed to join the union on being requested by the secretary of tho union to do so. "Such a clause," ran a memorandum to the award, '"has been inserted in a number of awards where the parties , have agreed to it, but the Coii/rt has never inserted it in an award against the wish' of any of tho parties. The question whether such'a oktuso does not amount to something" moro than preference to unionists may have to be considered hereafter, audi it certainly would be wise for' the parties to disputes to adopt a clause which is quite unobjectionable/' The preference olause inserted into the', award reads: "In tho event of any employer hereafter engaging any worker, other than a youth, w'llo <>hall not be d meinbur 'of the, miion, and who within fourteen days after engagement shall not become a member of the union, employers shall dismiss such worker from ".his sarvice if requested to do so by the union, provided tliero is then a niembor of the union who is "equally qualified, with the non-member to perform tho particular work required to be 'done, and roady and .willing' to undertake the same, (b) The provisions of the foregoing ! clause shall operate if and only bo long as tlhe liiiles of the union shall permit any. person■ of good character and sober habits, wiEo' is, em/ployed as, a sadd'ler, to become a member of the union upon payment of an entrance fee not exceeding 55., upon a .written or verbal application, without ballot or other election, aud to continue a member upoia payment of subsequent contributions not exceeding sixpence per week." The award com.es into operation an September 1 of this year, and exists till ■May 21, 1915. A note in the memoirandium said:— "Clause 15 of the award olearly. goes beyond what is lawful, and cannot be en'forced in its entirety." Clause 15 reads: "All work shall bo pea-formed in the fac-

'[Tory workshops, and no worker shall do work of any description at the trade for the purpose ccf trade after leaving tho employer's place of business, provided sucii worker 'bo fully employed, except when permits to work at home aro gxa-nit-©d to workers who are physically unfit to a;ttmd ait their employer's place of business." THE BUTCHERS. Tho Court's award in the butchers' dispute, alsOi is hied. The schoauiie apwuhos tliat tho horn's of work shali bo tnose provided for butchers in the Shops wid Uliioes Act, rJUii, anxl its amend-

ments. • T'he minimum, raws of wag® 3 aro hied as follow —First shopman, a week; second shopman, £2 10s. a week; iirst email goods maji, £3 a week; all others engaged in connection with the business, including shopmen* smalll goods men, oarters in charge of hawking or ordisr carte, and general hands," £2 10s. a week; riders-out, of 21 years of aga, iil 13s. 6d. a week; a casual worker to bo paid at the rate of la. 3d. par hour, with a minimum of sis hours, such worker to be provided with board by - his employer or p&id Is. 6d. per day in lieu theroof. '.Employers may employ boys and youths at not less than tho following rates: —Under ago 16 years, 17s. Gd. per week; from 16 to 17 years, .£1 pbr week; 17 to 18 years, .£1 ss. per week; 18 to 21 years, .£1 10s. per week. Any employer may agree to provide any such boy or youitih with board, and in every,'case the wages prescribed for suoh boy or youth sh,ajld be reduced by the sum of 7s. 6d. per week for every week in which suoh ■board shall be provided. The proportion of boys to be employed diflll not exoeed ome boy or youth to every three men otr fraotion of three. The usual holiday, umder-rajte workers, and preference (muses are provided, aid the term, of tho award is from September 1,. 1913, until August 15, 1916/ The award embodies the recommemdations of the Comoiliation Council, which the parties agreed to aocept, with the addition of Boiing Day as. a holiday.