CONCILIATION COUNCH.

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 179, 24 April 1920, Page 8

CONCILIATION COUNCH.

CLAIMS OF THE GARDENERS' UNION TEMPORARILY WITHDRAWN The dispute filed by Jhc Wellington Gardeners' Employees' Union came before tlie Council of Conciliation yesterday. tho Coucilinllon Commißbioner (Mr. W. ftcwtemj presided. The assessors for' tlie union were Messrs. Thomas Healy, W. llone, and 11. 11. Dawson. Mv. Andrew Collins appeared as agent for the union. Tlie employers had not had an opportunity of . arranging for as-sessors, but iir. W. sA. »• (ji-ent'ell represented the bowling clubs. Mr. T. Waugli the nurserymen, 31 r. D. W. l'ritchard the market gardeners, and Mr. J. G. Mackenzie thu City Council. The claims of the union included one for a 14-hour week. The vanes demanded were: For custodian, groundsman, and foreman £5 a week: for competent nursery and landscape gardeners, £4 10b. a. week; for jobbing gardeners, £4 10s. a v.xek: no deduction to be made from tho weekly wago for holidays or for loss of time, except where time is lost through the worker's own fault, or sickness. Where board and lodging is provided, ft per week to be deducted from tho wages Overtime to be paid for at the rate of time and a half for the first three hours, ami double time for all work done up to the starting time next day. The holidays to be New Year's Day, Anniversary Day. Good Friday. Easter Monday. Labour Day, King's Birthday, Christmas Day, Dosing Day. and picnic day, and all employees to receivo in addition 14 consecutive working days' holiday per year on lull pay. The employers cited were 16 market gardeners at the Lower Hutt, seven bowling clubs, tho Wellington City Council tho I'etone Borough Council, and the Wellington Hospital Board . Mr. T. Waugh, who appeared for the nurserymen, said .that the nurserymen 8 business was distinctly different from that of the bowling clubs or the jobbing gardeners, or oven the market trardeners. He was not going to discuss the claims, and intended to ask for total exemption lor nurserymen. Mr. D. li. Priteliard, who appeared on behalf of the market gardeners, also applied for exemption on the ground that there was nothing in the claims applicable to tho market gardeners. Even if, the claims were applicable to the market . gardeners they would still object unless all those engaged in supplying the local market wero made parties. There were the Chinamen in the Hutt and at Miramar Kilbirnie. Islaiid Bay, Otaki. and Nelson, and there were competitors in Hawke's Bay. and even in Auckland. Mr. W A. W. Grenfell. who represented the bowiing clubs, said that it was uselessfor him to suggest reasons why the cluba should be exempt, since the council was not' constituted; However, ho pointed out that the bowling clubs were not out to make money, but were merely sports bodies; and that being 60, they could not be cited, as they weer exempted by the Act. In the. awards in other centres. r bowline clubs were not included, nnd furthermore, no terms could be fixed that would apply equitably to all bowliaK clubs. The union agreed that bowling clubs should be struck out. The Wellington City Council wrote asking lor exemption on tlie ground that a Municipal Employees' Union had been registered, and included the men working on the reserves. Negotiations with this uiuoiii the letter stated, were.now in progress. Mr. J. G. MacKenzie (Superintendent of City Reserves) said that the employees had met the previous evening, and had noreed: to accept the council's effcr. The discusion throughout was informal, and alter a short, private discussion lietween the Commissioner and the union delegates. Mr. Collins said that they had decided to withdraw the demands, provided that there was nothing to _ prevent the union from presenting frcßh ciatms at somo future date.