THE TIMBER INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2300, 6 November 1914, Page 6

THE TIMBER INDUSTRY

VARIATION OF AWARD.; (By Telesraph—Press Association.) Auckland, November 5. The Arbitration Court sat to-day as a Royal Commission under the Trade and Commerce Act to hear an application made by the Auckland Sawmillers' Association for a variation of the Timber Workers' Award, so as to allow timber workers to be employed and paid at per hour instead of at per .week. It was explained that the war has had the effect of reducing the activity of the industry, and the employment of men on shorter time was the only alternative to the reduction of staffs. The association, also made.it a condition of the variation that -four days' work per week was to be spread-over five days. This was strongly opposed by the union, which, however, was prepared to accept four days' work confined to four days, allowing the men to engage in some other occupation on two days, and the Court said it would support the attitude taken up by the union. Tho association's representative 6aid this was not acceptable, and since employers could not have four days' work spread over five days, which the exigencies of the industry demanded, they would probably adopt the other alternative and dismiss a number of hands.