ARBITRATION COURT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2776, 20 May 1916, Page 14

ARBITRATION COURT

BOOTMAKERS' DISPUTE EMPLOYERS' PROPOSALS ADOPTED The award of the Court of Arbitration in the Now.Zealand federated-..800t Trades dispute was filc-d:,yesterday;'With' the Clerk (itr.-;.6.r5:- Clarli). Tho award covers the'whol<j of the':'in.dustry throughout New Zealand, . aiid operates for a period of two years from June 5 next. 111 a memorandum attached U) tli3 award, the Court says:, "Tho parties to this dispute arrived at a complete agreement before tho Conciliation Council, except'as to the-minimum''rata of wages, which was referred to the Court. It was. admitted a,t the hearing that tho journeymen in this industry are skilled workers,. although . tho skill required is not of ths highest, order, and tho Court, would have been glad, if it had been practicable, to have raised the mini, mum. wage to something like an equality 'with other skilled trades. In face, however, of the evidence adduced, as to the conditions affecting the industry, and particularly the competition it . has to maintain with imported articles, thi3 was found, to bo impossible. In the result, the Court arrived at the conclusion that the increase to Is. 3d. per hour, which was offered by the employers, was in t'he circumstances fair and reasonable, and has therefore been adopted by the Court and embodied in the-award. It is. to be /observed that the statistics produced at the hearing show that this is the highest average wage paid to the workers in this industry in any part of tho world. The Court, however, is of opinion that the' diminished importations due- to the excessive freights and other charges arising from war conditions has placed the industry.in the Dominion in an exceptionally favourable position for the time being, and thinks, therefore, that it is reasonable, iff addition -to the permanent increase in tho minimum wage, tliat the workers should receive some further consideration. The Court, has therefore granted them a-war. .bonus of five per cent. .At the hearing, the.employers asked that some special provisions-should bo inserted .in tho award to -permit of the employment of. unskilled labour, .if, .in consequence of tho depletion of skilled workers by. enlistment or "otherwise, --it was impossible after a reasonable interval of time to procure' skilled workers, to fill such vacancies as might occur. The Court was Toluctant to facilitate the. ad-1-..mission of unskilled ..workers into-a skilled .'trade; which.--might-lead to grave |'abuse, but, after..careful consideration, it determined by a niajority to. make, and has made, special provisions enabling returned soldiers to be employed under certain safeguards, aud only in the event of the union being' 'unable to provide skilled workers'for. tlio purpose required." The female section of the award provides for. a week ..of 45'liours, tho minimum wage for females having served five years at ,the industry to be J!1 10s. per week, coniputed. by: the hour. Spccial provision is made for tho .payment 'of hot w.tx thread machinists, who are to receive jßl'l7s. Cd. per week, and if not worked continuously for that period to be paid per hour at the same rate. A. war bonus of 5 per cent, is to 1m paid 011 these rates during the currency of the present war and for. three months after the cessation of tho war.