MACHINE METHODS

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 87, 13 April 1938, Page 10

MACHINE METHODS

CLOTHING INDUSTRY

"MORE WORKERS EMPLOYED"

DOMINION DISPUTE

A complete denial of implications which he said were contained in the statement of the workers' advocate with reference to the conditions of work in the industries concerned was made; by Mr. D. I. Macdonald, Christchurch, employers' advocate, in his final address to the Second Court of Arbitration yesterday afternoon in the Dominion clothing trade dispute, Dominion shirt, white, and silk workers" dispute, and Dominon milliners' and dressmakers'' dispute.

The Court reserved decision.

Whereas, said Mr. Macdonald, conditions of sweating might have existed in New Zealand to some extent, as they did in England, before the beginning of this century, these had been completely rectified by legislation and the introduction of awards for female workers. Factory conditions today were pleasant and the introduction of the machine has lightened the work of the erriployee at every stage.' The introduction of machine methods' had'not displaced labour but had permitted manufacturing industries- in New Zealand to grow and employ a substantially increased number of workers. In addition, wages had • increased substantially compared with the rates in 1914-20. Since June, 1936, some of the employers estimated that their wage rates had been increased by from 40 per cent, to 60 per cent.; in some cases more than this when the reduction in the hours of work, by four was taken into consideration.

JUVENILE WORKERS.

Reference had been made in the workers' case to the preponderance of juvenile workers reducing the general level of wages. Naturally, Mr. Macdonald continued, the preponderance of juveniles reduced the average wage paid in the industry, but wage levels were purely relative. The preponderance of juveniles.was largely due to the fact that the life of the worker w.as short; it was estimated at from five to seven years. Further, it was only by the employment of such labour that the industry had been able to extend into modern methods of production and thus employ more workers. ' l Mr. Macdonald pointed "out £.&* an overwhelming number of the f?ctories were small concerns, and sutinitted that this fact must ..not'be Iwit sight-of by the Court in making its award, as the introduction of condiions which might suit the large, efficient mass-production factory would often prove an onerous restriction on smaller establishments. The statement of the workers case covered many clauses which would embody departure from the existing awards,' but no evidence had been produced in support of them.

CASE FOR WORKERS.

Mr J. Roberts, Ghristchurch, submilted that no attempt had been made by Mr. Macdonald or the employers witnesses to refute the union's statement in respect to the marked increase in production. During the period when production had increased 'beyond the wildest dreams of manufacturers of a generation ago," wages had remained stationary. The relative position of the skilled female workers under the Clothing Tra^le Award, as compared with the skilled workers under the Factories Amendment Act, had been worsened. Mr. Macdonald had not seriously challenged that statement Mr. Eoberts reminded the Court of its own pronouncement on the subject of maintaining the ratio as between the skilled and unskilled workers' rates. He quoted wage rates recently awarded female workers under the Freezing Workers' Award, Caretakers' and Cleaners' Award, and the Coach and Motor-body Builders' Award. Except, he said, for the machinists under the Coach and Motor-body Builders' Award, these workers were unskilled, unlike workers under the Clothing Trade Award, who had to serve four years before being entitled. to the journey women's rates. j

HOLIDAY ISSUE.

In support of the union's claim for an annual paid holiday in addition to payment on statutory holidays, Mr. Roberts preferred to a South African agreement providing for a week's paid annual holiday, and South Africa, like New Zealand, he said, had to compete with Great Britain. Mr. Macdonald had contended that the provision of an annual holiday was not a matter for the Court to decide, but in other awards the Court' already had -awarded paid holidays. As to Mr. Macdonald's claim that it would not be possible for all the factories to give all the workers holidays at the same time, Mr.. Roberts said that 95 per cent, of the factories and work-rooms closed down oh Christmas Eve for ten "days to a month.

Mr. Roberts, after replying to other contentions made by Mr. Macdonald, dealt with the employers' evidence concerning the position of the industry, his remarks on this subject appearing under separate headings. Finally, he submitted that the union had shown good reason1 why the workers in the clothing trades. should be classed as skilled workers,.and paid-accordingly.