THE CONCILIATION COUNCIL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 167, 10 April 1920, Page 9

THE CONCILIATION COUNCIL

MOULDERS' DISPUTE

AN AGREEMENT REACHED

Tho Conciliation Council was occupied yesterday in-hearing the Wellington iron 'and brass ftioulders' dispute. . The Commissioner (Mr. \V. Newton) presided. The assessors were: Tor the employers, Messi'd. A. C. Mitohell, D. Robertson'and J. Cable; for the -union, Messrs.. J. 'Ferguson, C. Mitchell and W,. MTarlarie. Mr. H. F. Allen was agent for tho employers and Mr. F. Baxter agont for tho employees. The men . demanded that 40 hours should constitute a . It .was .asked that the wages of journeymen, iron and brass moulders, steel moulders, plato moulders, machine moulders, and eoremakers should be not less than 3s. ' nn hour. The overtime rate suggested was double time right through to the ordinary time for/commencing work next morning.' Double time'rates were asked for all holiday work. 'For apprentices the following' rates of pay were demanded: For tho first year, 30s. a week; for . tho second, 355.; for the third,'4os.; for tho fourth, 505,; for tho fifth, 605.; the proportion of apprentices to journeymen not to exceed one to three or fraction of the'.first three. It was also stipulated tint all moulders should be paid 2s. fd. extra for every eight hours or uart thereof as '"dirt money." The term of the award' Should, it was urged, bo one yea", and the award should he-made retrospective in'other centres. The counter-proposals filed by the employers provided for a renewal of tho .'existing award, with the following amendments Wages, BJd. an hour. ,'plii9 : the bonus awarded by the Arbitration Court from time to time. The employers. invited the union to eliminate tho "preference" clause, and the clause limiting the number of apprentices. '' Afte • considerable discussion, the .parties agreed, that 44 hours should consti- . tuto a week's work, _ : Touching wages, Mr. Mitchell stated thit tho''limit'the employers were prepared to concede was n'fiat rate of -25., wit'i the addition of a bonus of 3d; Tiioy objected to any allowance for "dirt money." r ~ ; ' , Ths payment of "dirt monc3 t " was discussed at some'length; the employees' • assessors ' contending'. .that moulders • should be placed on the same. footinj* as boiler)nakers and engineers in regard to this matter. The employers' assessors v remained firm on the point, refusing to .concede «iy. "dirt- money." whatsoever. • The employees' assessors offered .(but without Tesult) to reduce their claims on this, score, and- consider an oiler of, Id. " an hour. ■ ■ -. • •

The New Agreement. The council -sAt till' a late hour and arrived, at a complete ■ agreement.' Tho new agreement provides for iy minimum wage of 2s. per hour 'in the case of journeymen, moulders other than machine.moulders; and I 9! lid.'per liour, . in the case of machine moulders,, both .rates to l)e supplemented .by a bonus I of. 3d. per hour. Very considerable increases are provided for apprentices, and the wages of improvers are also increase • ed. '■ Overtime is fixed at time and a half for the first three, hours and doiH ble time thereafter. An f important, con- - cession by.' the employers is the .computation of overtime on the flat rate, plus - the; bonus. The award will come, into operation on April -16,-1920, and will continue for a term which, by mutual co'nFont, will be fixed, by the Arbitration Court. .:a chrtstcwh". agreement By Telegraph—Presß Association Christchurch,-April 9. ; The Conciliation Council in. the .iron nricT brass moulders' dispute arrived at ■' the following agreement :—Hours of'work, 41'n week. AYages, 2s'. an hour for mould-, ers,' Is. lid. for machine moulders, .and 1 25.. for journeymen corem'akers, plus a boniis of 3d. por hour.' .Apprentices' wages,: first .year, 2fls,; . second,. 265.; • third, 38s.'; fourth,• ;40s.;.fifth, 555,; lyitli' Bs;' extra for the last two years,. when 'the'apprentice has gained the A Grade certificate of the City and Guilds of, London Institute, or the equivalent certificate of the Canterbury College.