NO AGREEMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 15, 19 January 1933, Page 7

NO AGREEMENT

PLASTEEEES' DISPUTE

SITTING ADJOURNED

After sitting for two full days to consider the plasterers' dispute, the Conciliation Council was adjourned yesterday afternoon for,tho statutory period of fourteen days to enable the respective parties to formulate their proposals and place them before the Conciliation Commissioner when the Council resumes. As stated in yesterday's "Posy Mr. W. J. Mountjoy stated on behalf of the employers that he would indicate later in tho dj>y whJjt wage they were prepared to offer. The afternoon session was spent in considering the clauses in regard to country and suburban work, the general provisions of 'the proposed award, and meal money. It was Te.peatedly stated on both sides' of the .table that the conditions of work agreed upon would depend very largely on the wages, and shortly before 5 p.m. Mr. W. Broadley, one of the employees' assessors, stated that he would proceed no further until he knew what wage the employers were prepared to offer. The employers subsequently retired, and when they! returned Mr. "Mountjoy announced that they /were prepared to pay 2s an hour, which was 2d less than was asked by the employees, who sought .a fraction more than was allowed by the old award following the 10 per cent. cut. Claiming that this would reduce them to the :same level as unskilled workers such ■as watersidera, the employees refused .to continue, and the sitting was adjourned until 30th January. ■ The Conciliation Commissioner, Mr .E. W. F. Gohns, presided, and the assessors were as follows:—Employers- ( Messrs. W. J. Mouutjoy (Wellington Employers' Association advocate)) E E. Kent, T. N. Lovatt, and T. F. Foley' Employees- Messrs. W. Broadley C G Hall, E. Burton, aha A. Barn. When the,sitting was continued yesterday afternoon Mr. Burton said that -the employees would agree to the employers' proposals in regard to the •general provisions, except that they wanted 5s 4d per day in lieu of board •'when working in the country, and also f that a man who had been engaged on -a country job for three months should too paid Ms travelling, expenses for a trip to his home. SUBURBAN WORK. ' In regard to suburban work the employees wanted to be paid their travelling expenses outside a radius of one , and a half miles from the central point. . The employers wanted a radius of two ■ and a half miles, and the employees were prepared to split the difference and make it two miles. So far as Wanganui was concerned they would agree jto the corner of Ingestra street and Victoria avenue being made the f centre, instead of the post office. When a journeyman was required to travel ,' by train, or ferry to and from work it ■was desired that his fare and actual ■ travelling time should be paid. They 'would agree to the hours on suburban -work "being extended to not more than 'nine hours .a day, provided work did ; not commence before 7.30 a.m. SWINGING SCAFFOLDS.^ Another contentious point concerned ■ swinging scaffolds. Mr. Burton.said ■ he for one refused to work on a swing- ■ ing scaffold owing to the effect on his : nerves. It was recognised that it was i necessary on occasions to work on .swinging scaffolds, but it was dan- • gerous work, and the workers should, jbe paid extra. There was a lengthy . argument in regard to the liskinvolv- ; ed, and the clause was Eventually 'held over, tb'be considered by the employers. Regarding the meal allowance, the em- , ploye.es. v were prepared to. reduce their claim from Is 6d to Is 3'S*tq meet the employers' offer of Is. Following a retirement by the employers' assessors, Mr. Mount joy stated that although the employees were not prepared to accept the employers' proposal in regard to improvers—that an apprentice having/completed his apprenticeship may be employed as an improver'for not more than, twelve months at Is 4ja*per hour, the. period of improvership to be spread • over a period of two years from the completion of the apprenticeship—the employers wanted it to go in so that the boys would have a chance. For country work the employers would not increase their offer for board from. 4s 6d per day. Nor could they agree to men having their' expenses.paid to return home after spend- . ing three, months on a country job. It very' rarely happened that a job lasted for more than three months in the backblocks, and in most country districts there were sufficient local- men to do the work. . ■ ON TRAIN AND FERRY. Mr. Mount joy said they could not go past • their offer to pay travelling expenses for suburban work outside a radius of 2J miles. The employees' request for the : payment of travelling time as well as expenses to workers who had to travel by ferry or train to • suburban jobs could not be met, although the employers were willing to pay the train ' and ferry fares. If a man were paid for the time he spent on such travel, he would have to be paid from the time he stepped into the ferry or train, but during part of the jouriujK he' would be within tho 23-mile radius of the centre of the city. After considerable argument had taken place on this point it was agreed that 9d each way should be paid for the journey to Eastbourne, ' and the amount of the fare to be paid to various parts of the city and suburbs \ should be decided by the Disputes Committee. ; DEADLOCK BEACHED. \ Mr. Broadley: "We want to know what wages you will pay. If you will not tell us, then we will not go any further. Mr. Mountjoy: We will go out and ' come back and tell you what we are prepared to do about each clause;. Mr. Broadley: If you go out you will not find us here when you come back. • After a brief retirement the employers said they were willing to pay : 2s an hour. : Mr. Burton: That is hardly a fair thing for you to say, after what the • carpenters have lost and what wo have . lost. Mr. Broadley said that waterside workers, who were unskilled and had practically no tools to supply, received 2s an hour, and they were being brought down to that level. It might be said that the plasterers' work was more , certain, Xbut he would deny it. The , offer was definitely not.acceptable. Mr. Burton: We have always had Id more than the carpenters, and now we are brought down to their level. Mr: Broadley: It appears that you are offering the- lowest you can in the hope that we will accept it. Mr. Mountjoy: If we increase the wages, will you accept the carpenters' donditions? Mr. Broadley: Not entirely. The Commissioner said that apparently a deadlock had been reached. Some of tho conditions had been accepted, though in some cases conditionally. They had the right to refer the matter ' to the Arbitration Court or, ask for an . adjournment. It was decided to take the latter course. Mr. Burton thanked Mr. Gohns on . behalf of the employees for the attentive manner f in which he had listened to the discussion.