ARBITRATION COURT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1998, 4 March 1914, Page 3

ARBITRATION COURT.

; THE HOTEL WORKIS. OVER 1100 HANDS AFFECTED ; THEIR .WEEK'S WORK* ' ■ The Court of Arbitration opened its sessions .in WeHiKgtoji yesterday, . His Honour Mr. Justice Stringer presided, and the assessors wore Seott (eiaploycrs) aad J. A. M'C'ullougk (employees). ■ The first rlisnute, taken was tho hotel workers, iu which 114S .workers are concerned—ioi men aiul Wi-womeiu , - Mr. ■\V. A. Greirfcll. represented the ; employers, and Jlivß. J. .Carey the employees. ■ The'-hearing occupied most.af the day, and was not' eonclwted whenfhe Court rose at 3 p.m. It frill be continued this morning. ' '

Emtiloyers' fieslre. '. Mr. ■ Grenfe-U said that in this amtter the employers had taken' the initiative, with the idea' of securing .settled conditions. They asked to Have the award of 1910 reinstated. Mr. Grenfell added that from tijno t<> time over the last few years hours had been reduced and wages had feeeti increased. Siiwso the first award wais made i)t 199 i! the increase in wages had been atont 22 per ceut, and the hours had been reduced 20 per cent, for males and 30 per cent. for females. Holidays had been changed from two days ia three i»«aiths to' a half-holiday every week. The employers' were still observing the cottdurens of tho 1910-award, althoußJb it had es-pn-ed. Later lie remarked that the employers should not be in the jwsition of having to consult both Act and award in order to find their position. _ John Bevcfiage, propTietor of the Grand Hotel. Wellington, gave evidence to the effect that he had initiated the proceedings in. behalf of the city hotelkeepers. He weat m\ to say that notwithstanding that freedom of eojjtraet existed since the expiry of tie 1910 award the -employers had continued to observe the terms of that agreement. They wished to -continue uacler that agreement, and had, therefore, applied to the Court tofavo the old award reinstated. Tho alterations in conditions from timo to time had been very disturbing to business.

; To-Mr.'Carey; Certain of tho wages paid to hote-i markers were arranged as lor-single men, because- t-Jto work «m----coriiod was almost'always dono by single men. If. tbo hours'of labour were reduced from 62 to 06 per week,' as the union proposed; that would penalise tho employers severely.'

An .Allogailoß. Mr. Carey said that in January of 1913 the union applied to an award, but withdrew the application because of a-promise of legislation which would doal with.hours. Tho -counter-demands now made by the union were practically tho same as those made iu 191.3. The object of. tte employers in filing the present demand's was to set an awa.rd tor two or three years to defeat any lecislation passed by Farliament. Mr. Grenfeli odjected to this -statement.; He-said that the :deina-Ha.s were hied in May," 1913, .which was prior 'to the session 01-PafUamoftt.- Mr, Ciwev's statement was misleading. Mr. Carey contended that the demand wrasix days' weak of 56 liows far aen and 52 hours far woman ivas quite reftsonable, and 'said that inspecting fotrrntths of- the workers that would represent, payment at the. tnto of from 9d. to ■lid. per hour. Ho was going: to ftek the Court to say iC.it was reasonable that hptelkeepers should be privileged to Jiaw people .working longer liottrs for loss pay than people wofMedat itii -say tho grocery business. Not- only were'the hoars,l6up, but SMBe lletej wsr.'ters liadto work at nipfht, barmaids had to- dress well, and alt bar-workers had to handle largo amounts of money. The- . lUikvil aimed at ultimately securing for'the workers a ■iS-hoars , week for men and a 42-hours' week for women, with/Is, per liour'as.tlje minintuni wage. It.was very unfair that wo-ifes should liave to give up' 365 days. , every yeah.'and that .they could never call (tile day a year their d.wn.- Five , and a" half days was the working week ia 'Australia. .'

Hoy; the Salvation ArmifManagas, : Mr. Carey went ob to say thai is the People's Palace, run by t'ta'Salvaiioii Army,- iu 'WclUngtoM, swl made" to' pay at a low ta jiff, witli no bar .tirade, the workers toiled only six- days per week, and'in sonie' cases b£ tfa.ys. . ' . James Do-wn£s, ittoa-vsger of the People's Palace, canditofced b.v the Salvation Ariny, was o-alied by Mr. Carey. He confirmed the statements mad.oby Mr. Qaroy regarding hours worked at the institution. Ho ad'Jed that tho men at the Palace worked 38 'hours par week, and women 52-hours. Tlife wages plaid were abovo award , rates, and tho Palace was run without. puteidy frtm'tlip'general fund of tho Solvation Army.

Hotel Chefs. .. Edward Stewart., chef at tlie Maso«ie Hotel, Nelson, deposed that he had Ijco'b engaged at various places, at which' it was found DpssiHe to : work kitchon hands and cnefs Te-s'-s than , seven days 'per week—from a§ to 6J days.' Godd , chefs were leaving N-cw Zealand because., better conditfohs prevailed in Aastralia. By engaging an- estra ■ Mtcheit hand tab £1 7s. ; 6d.)' the emplpj-prs ' in' general could givo thfc six-day Week. .. The .dbpittft vriß'be continued at- 10 o'clock this too-re-hig.

OTHER BUSiNESS. .THECOMPEXBATIOX CASES. ■ The- case of the Public .Trustee v. .the Dominion ConsolWStod Dewlepiftg Company w?&' adjourned till the n-est ■ session'of the Court. . ■ • The case ot O'Couwr v, Q'Brien and Co.' will, he oiicned at 10.30 o'ebek SO' .morrow, nioruiiig* , Nicholson' y. Grundy is fixed for 2 p.m. to-morrow. It was reported t)iat a settlement was probable ,in tho- case oi Jones w Onion Steam' Ship Qsittpany, aftd tlic : case stands down.meantime. Also. 110 FixCnre was made in the case of Crawfotd.v. ■Union Steam-Sli-iu; Caiiipaiiy. ".

CASE ON APPEAL, The case on repiwal, WelUfl£tou Furniture Workers' Umo-n y.'thc.Seaul|ar.'Co.., Ltd.. was set down ' for- hearing Uiis 'morning. ' •

COACHWORKESfi' DISPCTB. When the GOftdiWorkws' di.sput-9 was mentioned, Jlr.W. A.fJrtniMl, who appeared for soiw -of the'employers, suid tliaf tlio only point iii.dispute was.that t)i9 employers desired to see tte Bomhibn nreferenco clause inserted in tlie awarfl tii lieu of the 'preference olausecoatouV ed in tlio rcommciidation.

. JFr. W.'Noot, the enimi represen'tatiye, said that objocttoft wmlld ho taken to the hours, .wages, preference, and a certain portion of the overtliits «!a\vso proposed in tho recnrajneii'dalion. The dispute will k> heard on Friday.

CABPISNTEBS* CASE. ■ The carpentore' ilisput-o will im to.lv'en at 10.30 on Friday.: Mr. nialherwfek: tho representatifo of the union, snkl tliat the workers were prepared, to accept the Dunciiin invanl ;is a Welli>,ie;l<m award, mid that-lie ■uwlorstoo.d Unit tli« cmployei's cited .wis'-licd certain' nwttcrs of exeiiHition dUcusßec|.

The L*nion : slßai'H' Siiiji Coit|f>aii.v was at once exempted, itfid tire Patent Slip Company added iaji«33, .. The' Gear .Jftai Camjiftst 'mi • the

AVeHington M«at CompaTiy asked for I osemptwn, tat these applications wiU.lso i dealt, with on Friday. .

PLUMBERS 8 DISPUTE. ' The plumbers' dispute was.then mentioned. Mr. B: Broai, oi' Dunedin, representing the union, said ho thought that if tte Court ordored that tho Auckland award slwuld be taken as u bniis A'settteinent would !jo arrived- at. After some discussion His Hosiour said that tbo parti.';.; had better cunfor, and come to the Court with' a)iv disputed points.

■ . WAIiUtIAI'A BUTCHERS. A rather urmsu.il point was raised iii the Waiitu-apa butchers' dispute.' Mi-. N. M'Robie asked that tin.' case should he withdrawn becausp wJieii the .citation was made the extent of the award was' not realised.; they did not know that it wmiid extend beyoml the botedarics of-Jlastertoii.

Mr. B. Ccopof objected.to tho.appli«i.tiott for -withdrawal. . Ho did not see what disadvantage tho- employers -would suflw'ly tk< whole tnatWjJoiflg before the Court. The fact was that Messrs. Ogih-je and Son, of Ma-sterton, had been submitted-to pi-ossuro to witbdi-aw tho dispnte. His Honotir said that decision on the paint raised. would lie given this morning, . ■

— METAL'WQBKEBS. Mr. M. J. Keardmi appeared for the union in the'Motal Workers' Dispute-" lie said that Mr. E. Kennedy would appear later—and suggested that if the Court ordered a conference ' Htaily of the points m dispute wight be settled, Mr. H. F. Allen, appearing for same employers, said that two conferences had been iield already, and lie understood that a'further conference would ofilv waste time.

His Hosiour said that it appeared that ali&tlsoi- conference would be futile. The hearing of the. dispute was fixed for Monday.

JEWELMRS , DISPUTE. Mr. Partridge stated that in the jewellers' dispute it had been ikeidod to accept the recommendations of the Coneilintion Council.-

. Mr. Saridgc >stated that he wanted some, different conditions for hands employed partly in shop and partly ia factory.

Mr. 31. S. Ikffirioii (for 'tho union),: I think the Court might .reasonably as:k this mail (Mr. Saa-icfev) why he, as an assessor, sigsved the agreement arrived at in the Conciliation Council.

_ The-Court fixed tho hearing of the dispute for Wednesday of next week.

ENGINE rauVISIiS , AWARD. Application was ma do fur the addition of a iiuinb&r of employers to i-lio Biigifiß-drivora' Award..

Mr. J. Raid, who represented tho employees, said that he understood that -i-lwro was no objcctioji to tho , proposed additions.

. The names of the parties preposeil to be added wcro called over* and 110 objocttou was offewd, but as' somib of the parties are located to i-ho Hawkc's.flay, Paltticrston North, and Wangaisui distriets, His Hout>u.r said .th'at it would bo' uec-Bssarj- to call the names again .wht'u tho Court sat in those centres.

BOIUSHAIAKESS. ; 1 When the bo-ifermakers-' dispute was called on, Mr. GwnfsH {employers , , represMitative) submitted that proper effect had not boon given to the provisions -of the Act, inasmuch as during thq existence of' the last- .award the union' was initiating tile present dis-

H.is Honour: I i-lunk ...tou bad'-better,, raise that question oa Tuesday .j (the day feed for'the hearing). ,■ / ' Mi-. W. A. Kennedy:"l ask for-r-ex-cmptioji for the. Union SliippiiigsCompany. /.. .. -. ■ ■ - : -. .

'Mr. Grwifell: I object to thai; application, '

-Mr. iKeimcdy: Fersenaily, Idoii'teare, beoausß we tlon't employ boilermakers. 'His Honoiu':.Yp« Ir.td beitm , leave that over till the matter is beard »