ARBITRATION COURT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 250, 16 July 1919, Page 9

ARBITRATION COURT

APPLICATIONS TO AMEND . ' AWARDS . HIGH RENTS IN WELLINGTON The Court of Arbitration, presided over by Mr. Justice .Stringer, Ijegan the hearing of applications in Wellington ycstciday. This • assessors wero Mr. W. Scott (for - tho employers) anil Mr. J. M'Cujlough (for tho employees). The provisions of the War Legislation and Statute Lav Amendment .Act, 1918, ■ were, invoked in tho three eases dealt-with during the day,-; GROCERS'. assistants: Mr.' E, M'Keen applied on behalf of the grocers' assistants for aii amejidnient of the Wellington City Grocers'.Award and the Country Grocers' Award for the Wellington Province. The award rate of wages to stll assistants oyer 22 years of age was in each case ,£3 per week, with a war bonus of ten per cont. The union aslced >ho Court to amend tho award by increasing that wtgo to ,£3 15s. per.week (flat-rate)-, «nd by increasing the award rates for all workers under 22 years of ago by 33 1-3 rd por cent. , ■. ■ Mr, Jt'K-een notc-1 that the Auckland grocers' assistants.-, had recently . been granted by tho Court sixpence per week more than tho Christciiurch assistants. Tic did not Know the reason for the distinction, but he helieved 'hat the evidence adduced in Auckland had warranted tho drawing of a distinction between Auckland and Christciiurch. His Honour observed that .lie Auckland rate had "just happened to work out'at sixpence more." . The idea had been to pur the two places on (he eamo footing Mr. M'Keen claimed 'hat (lie Wellington assistants, having to meet a higher cost, of living than Hint prevailing in other centres, were fully entitled to have their claims granted. Rent in Wellington v,as on an average (is. -t-d. liigher than it was in othor centres. -

Mr. A. W. Gronfell (for the employers) observed that the case was una of soniu importance to the whole Dominion, as jt was-the-first in which Wellington employees had conio before the Court to seek an increase in the' weekly wage, lie contended that the grocers' assistants had 'been .very fairly treated. They received a regular wage, had no lost time, mid no deductions for holidays; and they were-a Bio to purchase their groceries more cheaply than the general public. ■ With regard to tho.country award, lie submitted that as' no increase in tho.cost of living fo-r the country employees had been proved, the-Court should-decline to mako an amendment, The Court reserved its. decision. . ELECTRICIANS'. AWARD. ' 'Air. A. L. Alonteich asked tho Court to amend the award for the Wellington electricians'by increasing tho wage of Is. 6d. perhour to Is. 10d; per houiyand by increasing the.wagis of apprentices by : ion per eont. Mr-. Monteith said'that when the Court had formerly gone into the matter of tlie electrical workers' wages it had refused nn increase on one ground .only— that it had set a skilled workers' rate, a lid was going to keep to it. Tho Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration v Act, he urged, was based upon "equity and good conscience," and not upon precedent. The duty'of the Court was to-ar-bitrate npon each case, and not to set precedents. The union ho ■ represented held positively tHat.whilo.it preferred ar r bitrntion to the strike, it must have arbitration that was in harmony with the basis of the Act'under which the union was registered. Official figures showed that since 1891 Wellington rents had been consistently higher,by ss. to Bs. than rents in other parts of New Zealand. Irrespective of precedent, the-Court should take that fact into consideration. The Court should award "real," -not nominal, wages. „ His Honour pointed out that-the ques-. tion of rent affectei.l,different workers differently., 'Many workefs .wore single. -Mr. Monteith rejoined that it was,for' tho Court lo make it po'ssliilo for, single, men to get married. It had beon argued nt another sitting of the 'Ziiurt that in New Zealand tlioro wero 15,000 to, 17,000 women who could never liopo to'lwve a home of,their own. He trusted that His Honour .rcmem'bered that (ontoniioy. . . Mr'. Gronfell,. in. reply to tlio union's contentions, submitted that the .Government Statistician. h-jd given in-lijs to-, turns tho roiit for Wellington city, but not the rent for Wellington city and suburbs,' which would be lower. The Court's decision in fnvoar of a basic wage: was, broadly, a proper and equitable one., The employers were prepared to pay a wu£e of Is. 7Jd.-flat -rate, with 2!d. war. bonus. So long as there was a differen-' tia'l rate', for workers in different, places, so long would there be disturbance, of conditions and dissatisfaction unions tho employees.

. In his second address to the Court, Mr. Monteith said: "I submit that if ...tho Court took t.he line of giving, say, \a penny an hour moro to workers iff Wellington than to workers in other parts,' in all trades, the Court would upon the facts be absolutely justified—not a word could bo said against it." «•. .. Decision was reserved. An application-for amendment of tho award of the Wellington City Council's electrical linesmen .was held over for .a few days, so that an important witness might be called. WELLINGTON STOPEMEN, Mr. Monteith in the afternoon submitted arguments in support cf a proposal to amend the Wellington Wholesale Merchants' Storemen and packers' Award. The union naked for an increase from £3 Gs. to £4 per week lor.ordinary storemen; an increase from „';3l7s. to £i 17s. for head storemen; and a ten per cent, increase for juniors.' It also naked for the insertion in the award of the following hours clause:—"(a) An ordinary week's work shall consist cf T "orty-four hours; eight hours to 'be worked on.five days of the weok between tho hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., and four hours ou Saturdays, between tho hours of 8 a.m. and 12 noon. 0j) In establishments where- lib work is dono on Saturdays eight and a half hours shall constitute a day's work, and shall bo worked bstiroun Hie hours of 8 a.m._ and 5.30 p.m. fc) In departments, which handle perishable goods, the above-mentioned'hours can be: worked between the houra of 7.30 a.in; and a p.m." Spanking upon the hours, proposal, Mr. Monteith said that in Dunedin' and C'hristchurch agreement? for a 44-hour week had been reached without serious opposition by the employers. That was a significant fact, considering that those agreements would be the first'awards for the industry in those towns. The work' of packers and storemen was icry heavy, and after a -man had worked eight hours in an rr;m store he had done finite sufficient. The hours clause proposed by the Wellington Union should be even moro acceptable. to the employers than the hours clauses adopted in the Dunedin find Ohristchurch agreements. Of 130 firms in the city there were only between 11 and 15 that claimed to lie absolutely unable to work a 41 hours' week, Tn past proceedings, one witness for the emplovers had been worth about a dozen for the union. He submitted that the .'ourt had attached too ?-reat weight lo tnp evidence of- tlio oinployors. Mr. Grenfel! Teoiicd, and .'the Court To«prved it* decision. The Court adjourned till to-day. ■.