ARBITRATION COURT

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 58, 2 December 1919, Page 3

ARBITRATION COURT

BUTCHERS' DISPUTE

MAKING A NEW AWARD

Tho Arbitration Court yesterday considered tho Wellington (city) operative butchers' dispute His Honour Mr. Justico Stringer presided, and the assessors were Mr. W. Scott (for tho employers) and Mr. J. M'Cullough (for the employees). Mr- It. Brceu appeared for the union and Mr. IV. A. Grenfel! for the master butchers, Tho union demands and the conciliation proceedings in. tho dispute were quite recently published. Tho principal matters referred to the Court -were wages and hours. Tho union asked in its original demands for the following rates of wages: First shopman, j$ ss. per week; second shopman, .El lSs.j first smallgoods man, X 5 55.; all other workers, J,'( 10$. Tho chief clause relating to hours read: "A week's work shall not exceed -174 hours. The hours of work on l> a days of tho week shall bo from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. with H hours each day for dinner. On Saturday tho hours of --work shall be from 7 a.m. to .12 noon." Other disputed clauses were: /Where throe or moro men are employed in any shop, one man shall be paid first shopman's wages." "Tho employment of femalo labour (other than the wife or daughter of the employer) shall not bo allowed, and no employee shall bo permitted to have the assistance of female labour at any time." Mr. Breen informed.-the Court that tho revised wages demands were: Tirst shopman and first small goods, XI 155.; second shopman, M IDs.; other workers, Evidence was called by tho union. Several of tho witnesses were employers in tho trade. Mr. Grenfsll said flint owing to delay in receipt of the citations, tho Wellington employers had been unable to confer among themselves, and to get iu touch with the country employers ■ before tho conciliation proceedings. That perhaps accounted for tho absence of unanimity among them, and for the fact that different agreements had been reached in each of the country districts. The' Wellington employers were prepared to accept tho Tates of wages (X 3 Its. Gd. or £3 125.) awarded by tho Court in other centres. Tho question, of hours was an important one. Tho hours wero at present' regulated by the Shops and Offices Act, and wero limited to 52 per week. .there was no good reason, he submitted, for which tho Court should fix a etarting hour. It might be necessary for work to l>o started early in summer in order to permit, of meat being brousht Mi in the cool hours of the day. Tho Court was practically bound, he'suggested, by its -past decisions regarding trades covered by tho. Shoes and Offices Act. The Court had in tho past decided not to interfere y,-hei-o a trade was covered by the provisions of particular legislation. The Canterbury. Auckland and Diraedin rates quoted above, lie submitted, wero fair minimum rates for the lowest naid -workers in the trade. His Honour: Wli.nt do you say of the country agreements? Mr. Grenfell: T can only say that wo helievo the Court will not consider itself bound to follow the lead given by tho country employers. ■ There was not the unanimity among the employers that ono would liko to see, Mr. Grenfell-continued. There was the small man. against the big man, and tho small man wns trying to nut something on to the bis man that the big man resented. With regard to fpmnle labour, tho employers would request the Court to make provision for its employment in pork shops. After hearing evidence tendered by the employers, the Court reserved its 'decision.