BIOGRAPH OPERATORS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 134, 2 March 1920, Page 8

BIOGRAPH OPERATORS

DISPUTE BEFORE CONCILIATION . " COUNCIL PARTIES FAIL TO AGREE The Conciliation Council was occupied yesterday in hearing the Wellington biograph operators' dispute. The Commissioner (Mr. W. Newton) presided,-and tho assessors were: Messrs. W. A. Grenfell, E. J. Eighton, A. W. Pickford, and H. ,W. Shortt, representing the employ-ers;-*nd Messrs. M. J. Renrdon, V. Walters, J. M'Kenzie, and 11. Barclay, representing the employees. According to Mr. Reardon the employees wero asking for very little alteration in the conditions. On tho question of wages the employees met the cmplovers before the parties were cited, and the latter made certain suggestions which would go very near to arriving, at a settlement, lhe employers asked the employees to securj figures regarding tho rise'in tlm cost of living, and this had been done. The employers understood that the question of wages would bo considered on the basis of the cost of livintr. The last award was made in 1017. and ho pointed out that tho cost of Jiving had risen since then by approximaMv 28 per cent. This was spread over the three main fond groups. . Mr. Grenfell pnt in a' table showing that the cost of living had risen only 20 per cent, since 1917. Conflicting Tables, Mr. M'Kenzie: "If you can use one table I can use another. The table 1 have shows a 28 per wmt. increase; another shows 21 per cent." Prices, he nddpd, were rising the whole time. Mr. Grenfell: There is no evidence of that. Mr. M'Kenzie rejoined that Mr. Grenfell obviously could not have read the newspapers. Continuing, he said that thev did not admit that the Statistician's- figures told the whole story. Tho figures quoted by Mr. Fraser for rents, for instance, were ridiculous. It would also be very difficult to obtain groceries at the prices quoted. After further discussion on the pointMr. Grenfell urged that if an abnormal 1 increase wero granted to the onerators It would mean placing the operator on a much higher level thai) any other worker.

Mr. Righton referred to the previous informal meeting between the ■ parties, stating that he had found that there were no employees to meet, but instead Mr. Reardon and Mr. M'Krizie. The speaker suggested to the council that a settlement should bo arrived at on the lines of the Auckland agreement.

, The employees' representatives disagreed with this suggestion. A further suggestion was thrown out by Mr. Riiliton that the parties should agree on the question of conditions and jro.to the Arbitration Court on the question of wages.

To this also the employees' Teptesen' tatives objected.

Tho Commissioner observed that a 20 per cent, increase would bring the wagtup to £5 Bs. and to £i IGs for tho respective grades.

Mr. Shortt said that, the limit the en*, ployers were prepared to go to was t» grant the same increases ks those given under the Auckland award nnd to leave the conditions the same as those obtairtin°r under the old award.

Mr. M'Kenzie exnlained that the employees wanted a 25 per. cent, increase in order to nut them on the same footing as before the war.

The council- sat throughout the day* but no settlement was arrived at except on minor points, and it was agreed to refer the dispute to tho Arbitration Court.