UNABLE TO AGREE

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 38, 15 February 1933, Page 15

UNABLE TO AGREE

PROCEEDINGS-.. ADJOURNED

COACHBUILDING TRADE

No agreement was reached at the afternoon sitting of the Conciliation Council on Monday afternoon in regard to the Wellington coaehbuilders 3 dispute, tho most contentious point being the.employers' proposals iv regard to piecework. : Remarking that it was evident that tho. assessors were unable to solvo their difficulties, the Commissioner, Mi-..P. Hally, said that he would have to take the statutory procedure of suspending the proceedings for .0 days, during which period the parties would be able to meet each other, and if there was a reasonable .prospect of an agreement they could-advise him, and the conciliatibu proceedings could be resumed, before the period expired. Mr. Hally said ho would have asked for the questions in dispute to bo referred to the Arbitration Court had he not been aware that the parties would not agree to that proposal. During the period of 30 days the employees' assessors will confer with the members of their union in regard to the employers' proposals, to see whether there is any prospect of their being accepted. Should they notify the Commissioner that they are unable to agree, the award will be suspended 30 days after such notification. THE EMPLOYERS' OFFER. When tho sitting was Tosumed yestorday afternoon tho employers made the following offer in regard to their piecework proposal: That it should not apply to weekly workers; that the amount received by any worker should be not more than 20 per cent, less than the minimum rate prescribed for that particular worker in the award; that all piecework should be done within the ordinary working hours; and that all work dona outside or in excess of the ordinary working hours should be paid for at overtime rates— time and a quarter ou the minimum rato for the first four hours, and thereafter time and a half. The employers increased their offer for journeymen's wages from Is 9_d an hour to Is lOd ah hour, and subsequently increased it to Is lid. . It was stated on behalf of the employers that their desire was to protect themselves against the incompetent worker. On behalf of the: employees Mr. C. H. Chapman, M.P., said they were unable to accept the employers' proposals. Piecework, in conjunction with overtime and ordinary rates of wages, was discussed at length during the afternoon, but without result.