ARBITRATION COURT

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 68, 14 December 1920, Page 9

ARBITRATION COURT

ORDERS FOR PAYMENT OF, 3a. .'rBONUS.

After announcing yesterday its decision that the cost-of-living bonus for .the halfyear .ended September 30 last.shciild he 3s. for adult male workers, the. Court nt Arbitration proceeded to deal with the list of - applications for the bonds: .The Court .'decided to' . ihake orders, for nstvment of the .bonus ..in the cases .of |tho following;-•=. .« Wellington painters; nnd _ decorators; ■Wellington Industrial' . district tailors i Wellington electrical workers; ton stationary'.'.traction, end locomotive engine-drivers;' Wellington-: merchants wholesale storerc-m and packers; -Wellington saddlers j"-"Wairafap'a painters an<l. decorators; -• Wellington - ' manufacturing • jewellers; Wellington-'country 'districts tca-rrom employees: Wellington woollen mills" employees; Wairarapa;..operative butchers; Wellington .butchers (25 miles rodius);. ; Wellington/ ■'ilnitpd furniture trod" Av'6rkfii;s: -'Wellington : iron 'and brass mouldei's; Wellington builders 1 and general labourers (city award):^ Wellington biograph... operators; Wellington plumbers and', gas&tters; coach workers; .AVellington builders and eeneral labourers (country award!: Wellington timber yards and sawmills employees ; Wellington retail grocers' Assistants OVairarapaFanners'. Co-op?rativh Association and others; Wool and groin store employees of .Messrs. Abraham, lind ? Williams-and Messrs. Davidson and Co.; Wellington linesmen" and "linesmen's-,as-sistants;: W'sirarapacaTpentm and joiners. - . ..v-...'' ' , .' ! .Judgment, upon the of the following unions was reserved:— Wellington dairy.employees (city milk supply): Wellington .pi*rate hotel workers (within 25 miles radius); Wellington restaurant, tea-room; and luncheon room omnloyees (within 25 miles .radius); federated furniture trade workers ,(npholsteresses' section); "Wellington retailgrocers' assistants (Campbell and Co. and others): 'AVellington "bottlers,' arid and ' aerated writer employees .(Bacon Aerated Water- Co.-); • Wellington Tramway? Industrial 'Unibn flCelburn land Karon tramway); Wellington Match Factory Industrial Union; Wellington tramway employees (City Corporation).- . .. ......' 'In tho ca«e of tfie match factory workers. Mr. Grenfell pointed out .that th« Hate of tha award was October " 23.' In of that fact and the fact that most of .the workers (females) wore being paid piecework rites'iind were able to earn a , minimum ot £2 54. a week, he submitted thiit ab boilns should be granted; " ■ '-'Mr.' -R. M'lCeen, on behalf of tho work* Ms,, said that tho.dato of tho old award was 1013. . The workers had'- received an increase', of' only 20 per cent/ in wages in seven" years, 'while the product of their industry was beimr retailed "at a nride .150 per, cent, higher than when • the -1913 award was made; ' This year an agreement,- which'operated from September 9. had been entered into so that the workers', Who were miserably paid, would receive promptly an inoroari.in wases;---Mr. Justice Stringer: It looks on the face of it a? if you have no claim for ft bonus at. all. The period in respect of which the bonus iB granted expired . only a few days after September 9. Mr. Mlfeen said that the .machines the workers operated' could be .so adjusted as' to - determine the amount that tho workers should earn. ' v -.Mr,-Justice Stringer ■ observed that'.'it was' unfair to say . a-thing which could not be inquired into, and of'which'.no "" notice had been given. Ho did not-think Mr.:-' M'Keen should have made tho statement in connection with the application before.-the Court; Mr. M'Keen: I am prepared to prove it. As stated above, the Court reserved its decision.! ;