ARBITRATION COURT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 37, 7 November 1917, Page 11

ARBITRATION COURT

YESTERDAY'S SITTING

TWO AWARDS FILED

The Court of Arbitration conliniird iln sitting in Wellinglnn yeslerdiiy. Mr. ilustico Stringer presided, and l.lin ast-cs-sors wero Mr. W. Spoil, (employers') uml Jlr. J. A. it'CiilJougli (employee*'). Buildors and General Labourers. The Court filed an award in the liuiMers and general labourers' di>pulo. Tin* award, which is to bo effective for two years from the l!ll.li of this month, provides for a i 7 hours' week, wilh special clauses respecting tunnel work. In tunnel work llio hours are not lo exceed eiijbt per shift, with half an hour for crib time. Six hours is lo he a day's tunnel work in wet places or foul air. Labourers at building operations wilt liavo nt honrs' wook. Tito minimum Wflgc.s of building Iradcs labourers aro to be:—On construction of scaffolds. Js. Jtd. per hour; others, Is. .Id. per liour. General labourers—Tunnel work, Is. .'ld. per hour; quarry work. la. 3d. per hour; others, Is. 3d. per hour. Also Iho men aro lo receive u 10 per ccjil. war bonus.

Manavvatu Carpenters, An award was filed in tho Mauawatu carijontora and joiners' dispute. Tim minimum wages aro fo be:—Journeymen, b. Gd. per hour; foremen on oulsido jobs, Is. per day extra; war bonus, 2d. per hour; apprentices' war bonus, Id. per hour. Apprentices' wages—First year, 10s. per woek; socond year, lfis. per week; third year, ill per week; fourth year, Jll ss. per week; fifth year, •CI 15s. per week. A preferonce-for-unionisls clauso is included.

Metal Workers. An application' w tuado by tho employers for an interpretation of tho metal workers' assistants' award. Tho mo Her in question concerned tho payment of dirt money. Tho workers contended that'tho ono shilling dirt monoy allowance should be ' paid respecting fivory eight hours worked. Tho omployors said that dirt money should I>b payable only onco in ' overy twenty-four hours.

Tho Court held that it was unnecessary to amend tho wording of the award, and it -upheld tho interpretation of tho employers, who were represented, at tho hearing by Mr. H. F. Allen. Aerated Water Workers. Tho aerated water workers' dispute was heard. By agreement tho cordial workers were struck out of tl.io dispute, nnd it was thereforo confincd •to machino workers, bottle washers, and general hands.

The union asked for wages which tho employers 6aid would amount to a 30 per cent, advanco. The employers asked the Court to renew tho old award and to make provision for the employment of women at wages of -£2 for the ■ first three months and i£2 ss. thereafter. The union contended that neither youths nor women should be employed at the filling machines unless they wore paid men's wages. : Mr. AV. A. .Grenfell appeared fpr. the employers and Mr. H. Hanton for tho employees. Tho Court reserved decision. .