ARBITRATION COURT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 255, 23 July 1919, Page 3

ARBITRATION COURT

APPLICATIONS-FOR INCREASED WAGES

METAL WORKERS The Court of Arbitration yesterday hoard the applications of several unions for increased wages. Air Justice Stringer presided, and tho assessors were Mr W. Scott (for tho employers), and Mr. J. Ai'Cullough (for tlie employees), Tho applications of the lollowing Wellington unions were heard together: The Amalgamated .Society of Engineers, the Motor Mechanics' Union, tho United Boilermakers' Union, and tho Metal Workers' Assistants' Union.

Mr. M. J. Reardon, representing the applicant unions, said that ho had been authorised to agree to the decision given by tho Court in other centres upon the bearing of the engineers', boilermakcrs', and motor mechanics' cases. The unions woro prepared to accept the Is. 7}d. witli war bonus of 2Jd. given elsewhere. The employers had rather taken exception to the unions' application, but it was clear from a memorandum attached to an order of the Court mado in March last that the Court expected some such application would be presented. The reason, that-prompted tho employees in the three tradt-s named to accept wliat the Court had awarded elsewhere was that the whole of the awards would expire in tho courso of fow months, and the ironmasters throughout Now Zealand would then, in all probability, have an opportunity of. meeting tho employees with a view to reaching a Dominion agreement.

With regard to the metal workers' assistants, 'Mr Rcardon stated that tho union was asking for Is. IOJd. per hour. Mr. 11. F. Allen, who represented tne Wellington Ironmasters' Association, was asked by the Court whether he proposed to acccpt the decisions given elsewhere in the cases in which ho. was interested. Ho replied that he did not eee that there was much use in objecting. He would, however, submit certain information that bo had gathered by making inquiries of the master butchers, the master bakers, and tho master grocers of Wellington in regard to tho cost of living. Tho master butchers stated that during tho last threo months tho price of beef had stood firm, while that of mutton had decreased by 2d. par lb. The master bakers wrote that tho price of bread had not been raised since February, 191?. The master grocers ventured the opinion that there 1 had been very little if any increase in the prico of groceries during the last three months; that no doubt there had-been fluctuations in prices, but that the general cost of commodities had remained about even. They added that it was becoming increasingly difficult, however, to procure stocks. Mr. W. A. W. Grenfell, representing ironmasters outside of the Wellington Ironmasters' Association, objected to the Court's general decision upon overtime in all orders it had recently made under the War Legislation Amendment Act. He referred to the memorandum in which the Court had stated that it was increasing the overtime rates to minimise the amount of overtime worked; and he argued that since in other countries the ordinary hours worked were considerably in excess of those worked in • Now Zea> land, there was not the necessity in this country for such restriction as the Court had imposed. Mr. J. P. Cousins, representing the Motor Garage Proprietors' Association, submitted that tho cost of the three main food groups and rent in tho Wellington industrial district had increased only 3,8 per cent. ,during the last 12 months. Journeymen workers, on tho other hand, had received an increase in wages- of 12J per cent., and assistants an inerenso of 14 to 15 per cent. _ The Court reserved its decision.