ARBITRATION COURT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2637, 7 December 1915, Page 9

ARBITRATION COURT

YESTERDAL'S BUSINESS

THE BOOT-OPERATIVES' DISPUTE

The Wellington sittings of the Court of. Arbitration commenced yesterday. His Honour Mr. Justice Stringer presided, and sitting with him as assessors were Mr. E. F. Dutliie (employers' representative) and Mr.' J. A. M'Cullough (employees' representative). . A question was stated by the Conciliation Commissioner for the opinion of the' Court as to whether the Wellington Boot Operatives' Union had power to proceed for a local award when a Dominion award had previously beon obtained ,in the industry. Mr. J. 'Hutcheson appeared for, tile union, while Mr. W. A. W. Grenfell appeared for the employers, who objected to the matter being dealt with, on the ground that the dispute was not before the Court, and that the employers had received very short liotico of the matter. Mr. Hiitcheson asked that the parties should be ordered to meet in Conciliat,ou Council and report' to the Court on Thursday, so that, in the event of no agreement being reached, the Court might proceed with the hearing. His Honour stated that the Court would instruct the Commissioner that the local union had a proper standing and that the dispute should be proceeded with. If the dispute could be brought before _ the Court on Monday, it could be dealt with then. If not, it could be taken in any other centre that the parties might agree upon. The Court thought that the employers should facilitate the hearing, as it was owing to the position they had taken up that the .matter "was not already before'- the Court. ' UNUSUAL APPEAL. Mr. M., Myers mentioned an appeal by Gannaway and Co., master stevedores, against a, 'decision' given by the Inspector of Awards unJer CIHUSs 26 of,the Waterside Workers Industrial Asrreeniottt. Counsel said that the agreement provided that the rate for stevedoring and general cargo work should be Is" 6d. all hour. The men refused to work case-oil on the steamer Physa for less than 2s. an hour, The employers might havo ta,ken other courses, but they prererred tojiavo-the dispute settled amicably. They referred- the question to the union, but the union refused to have anything to do with it. Subsequently the dispute was referred to the Inspec'tor of Awards, who gavs a decision; against which his clients now wished to appeal.

The Court fixed Friday next for the hearing of the appeal, and directed that notice should be served on the union ond; on the member previously served through tho union.

HOURS OF CASUAL LABOURERS.

The Inspector of Awards (Mr.. H. E. Moston) asked for the > direction of tho CouH in. connection with a dispute referred to him under Clause 26 of the Waterside Workers' Agreement. This dispute had to do with the steamer Arawa, and he did not consider it was a matter whioh came within the scope or tho clause.

Mr M. Myers, on behalf of the Shaw, bavin, and Albion Company (owners or the Arawa), remarked that the employers desired to "have the question settled. He explained that the case' arose out of ft recent incident when the men refused to work after 10 o'clock at night, and held.up the transhipment of butter from ho Comma to the Arawa. The question waß_: What were the rights of tho parties m regard to overtime? Waa there sufficient' provision for it in tho agreement?

After some discussion Hits Honour said that a case might be stated for interpretation by the. Court, and a fixture could then be mads.

EXEMPTIONS SOUGHT. ..Th® Court, granted exemptions from j Grocers Award to Laery and Co and to the United Farmers' Co-operative Association, on the ground that the applicants were wholesale-dealers only / Decision was reserved by, the Court in the matter of some exemptions sought in connection with the ongi no-drivcrs l dispute, to be heard to-day. SETTLEMENTS ARRIVED AT. Mr. P. J. O'Regan stated that the compensation case, Comfort v. Union Steam Ship Company, had .been settled. Air. T. Neave, for defendant, in Richards'.v. Va]lance, also announced a settlement, and asked that judgment bo 'entered by (consent. . A complete agreement was announced m the case of tho Federated Cooks and Stewards - dispute. The term of' the award was fixed for two years, from August 1.

In the grocers' dispute, it was- anflounced that there had been a complete agreement at the Conciliation Council, ine Court made the agreemont into an award and decided that it should come into operation on December- 20. FIXTURES. Fixtures for the remaindor of the iveek have been made as follow Tuesday, December 7—Engine-drivers' dispute. •

. Wednesday, December B—Compensation cases, Wortley v. the Blackball Coal Company, and Hazell v. Burgess Bros. I>ursda.y, December 9—Allen v. the Union Company; Mallard v,' the Union Company; • and Smith v. ■ the Union Company. '' ' '.