ARBITRATION COURT

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 78, 27 December 1919, Page 5

ARBITRATION COURT

MCTSIONS IN THE SOUTIT. By Tclcgrar!'.- Prfrs Association. Dunetiin, December 2H. Tlio Arbilraiion Court filed its decision in regard lo llie ami ina<-hini>l-;' a\ra''d. The bonus lias been iiicreasi'd bv fmir .-liilliiifts a ii'i'olc, and ovortime lo tiir-e ann a liiil! for tli" lirst three hours and double time tlieivafle.r. Tn the N~v,' Zealand ("xeepl Vreiliiijlon district) b'.MikbiiHh'i'?. -ruler?, and cutters' a'.va;d. the bonus to all journeymen, except pieceworker?, lias bean increased by four philliiiKS .per week, and picceworlreio are to !;-o paid a bonus of four iHii]]i]i«s ;,"r week in ai!dition_ to what their earnings may be. Overtime has been increased to iime and a. half for the first three hours and double lime thereafter, and all work done between mid:ii.slil and the ns'ial_ time of crmimcnciii" : work f-hall be paid for at the late cf double time. All these onlerfi to ermio into operation oil January 1.

OTSTEKERS, DI?OVERS. £ PACKERS. Ail award oororin? the niusterers, drovei's. nnd naekers in and Ponl bland hiiK b.-cn filed, to come into ojieralicn on January 1.. and to operate for two years. It provides that_ ii'.ii.--terers shall receive Ifis. per day if enffasod for less than a week, and ,-?3 5-s. per weelc if employed for a week or more. Sunday 16?. extra. Packers shall receive ,C 3 per v eek, and anv niuslerer or packer engaged in fiinw-rakinn sliall receive 2-i.s. per day. Youths may be cmployed at ."fl"-. for- (die first vear, and ")os. for the second. Tho p r oportion of learners shali not lie more than one to four. Improved nvovisi<m is made for the sapply of food and sleeping accommodation. Drayers shall b? paid not l r s-= than '!os. per day and all necessary exnenres. Fermanent ham'o are exempted from I lie provisions of (lie award. A preference clause is regarded as impracticable. These rates are in advance of these operating in the Canterbury district. SOFT GOODS AWATCD. In the matter,-of the application by the employers to vai-y the Dunedin retail soft goods awn.i 1 ! by mlncine the minimum wage payable in the third and fourth years, the Court refused the application on 'the ijrouiul thai- it has no jurisdiction under scction 92 of the Act to amend an award.

TYPOGRAPHICAL CASE. In a memorandum attached to its amending orders in the tyoojraphical case, the Court traverses Hie grounds upon which the application is made,.and disallows the.whole of these with the exception of the cost of livine. The, union sought in effect to induce the 'Court to entertain a variety of circumstances w'hicli, although frennanc to the niakinjr of a new award, are beyond tho scope of an application under the Act for amendment of an already existin.s: award. It certaintly seems. Wie memorandum states, that the -basic irages of the workers in this indust'y are not commensurate with tho hkh degree of skill required of them', and that they compare unfavourably in this respect witili the present wages of workers in other skilled trades. This is. however, only a matter which can properly be dealt with at the making of a new award, nnd after hcarin? the contentions of all parties concerned. The Court's decision in this case was reported in the last issue of Tiib Dominion.