CONCILIATION COUNCIL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3145, 25 July 1917, Page 9

CONCILIATION COUNCIL

: —. HEARING OF TAILORS' DISPUTE. A sitting of tho Conciliation Court was held- yesterday to further consider -the dispute between - tho Wellington Tailors' Union and their . employers. The Conciliation Commissioner '{Mr. W. H. Bagger) presided, aud with him were Messss. W. Waterworth, D. Scott, and R. Q.- Wilson, assessors for the union, and Messrs. D. Morrison, J..Dolicrty, and. J.-Kay, assessors for tho Mr. W. A. Grenfell acted as agent for tho employers, and Mr. M. J. Reardon appeared, in a similar capacity for the employees. The demands of the union -included 44 hours a week, and piecework to bo paid for at tho rate .'of Is. lid: per hour inptead of Is. per hour as at present, together with on amended piecework log. . Tho counter proposals of tho employers stipulated for 48 hours per week; weekly wages, £2 155.; tho Dunediu log. with money values substituted for hourly rates. For instance, instead of stating 35 hours at Is. per hour for tho. making, of ft coat, the value to bo plainly stated at 355. An addition was provided for the making of military garments. Tho employers also stipulated for tho removal of the embargo on team work, and the handing out' of bespoke work. According to tho clause "tho employer shall havo the right to introduce whatever machinery his business may, in his opinion, require; and to divide or subdivide labour in any way ho may deem necessary,; subject to payment of wages as hcTein provided." There was also a demand for the removal of the restriction on the employment of wages men, at present limited to one to each shop. Mr. R. 0. Wilson asked if there was any chanco of conciliation proving successful. Mr. Grenfoll,. in reply, stated that the demands of the employers were agreed upon by <i Dominion Conference", and if tho Wellington employers . reached a settlement it might go for nothing in view of tho possible decision of the Arbitration Court. • The essence of the wholo matter ■was that the employers wished to havo freedom to arrange their work as they desired. After conferring noarly the whole day it "was discovered that there were clauses in tho employers! proposals on which an agreement could not bo reached, and it was designed .to adjourn sine dio to await tho decision in a caso pending