ARBITRATION COURT

Evening Star, Issue 19803, 29 February 1928, Page 4

ARBITRATION COURT

CONDITIONS OF MOTOR APPRENTICES The conditions of apprenticeship in the motor engineering trade in the Otago Provincial District came before the Arbitration Court at its recent sitting in Dunedin, and, after considering the matter, the court has made an order prescribing the wages, hours, and. other conditions of employment to be incorporated in contracts of apprenticeship in the trade. Among the provisions which have been made are the following:— livery contract of apprenticeship and every alteration or amendment thereof shall bo in writing, signed by the employer and the apprentice, and, if the apprentice is under tlio ago of twentyone years, by the parent or guardian (if any) of the apprentice, and shall bo registered in the manner prescribed by the Apprentices Act, 1923, and its amendments. The minimum ago at which a person may commence to servo us an apprentice shall bo fifteen rears, and the maximum ago shall be eighteen years: Provided that this clause shall rot alfec J assistants at present engaged who may not be apprenticed under this order. Provided also that a boy may commence to serve at fourteen years of age, with the consent of the committee. , ~ „ , The term of apprenticeship shall be five years. The proportion of the total number of apprentices to the total number of journeymen employed by any employer shal' not bo more than one to every journeyman employed and one to each working employer. Notwithstanding anything contained in the foregoing clause the Apprenticeship Committee may determine the proportion of apprentices to journeymen that may be employed by any employer within the district covered by this order. The minimum rate of wages payable to apprentices shall be as follows (per week): —for the first year, 15s; for the second year, £1 2s 6d: for the third year, £1 10s; for the fourth year, £1 17s 6d; for the fifth year, £2 ss. If ordered to ,do so by the court or a committee, any apprentice residing within a twelve-mile radius of the Chief Post Office, Dunedin, shall attend classes at the King Edward Technical College and complete a course of instruction. In such case, and also in the case of any apprentice who voluntarily attends, the employer shall refund the apprentice the amount of the fees for each term in which his attendance is not less than 75 per cent, of the maximum possible.

It shall bo necessary, except in exceptional circumstances, as approved by the committee, for boys desiring to become apprentices, after this order comes into operation, to provide satisfactory evidence that they have passed through the Sixth Standard and hold a certificate of proficiency, or have attained an equivalent standard of education. Boys who have not obtained an elementary knowledge of freehand and mechanical drawing, mechanics, and elementary mathematics at a secondary school shall be required to take a year’s course in the above subjects at a technical school in tho first year of apprenticeship before commencing tho course called for in the syllabus set out in the schedule of this order.

A person under twenty-one years of age who has served part of Ins'apprenticeship to the trade outside of New Zealand may complete the term of apprenticeship herein provided for with an employer in the district on furnishing to the district registrar a certificate from his former employer, and or such other evidence (if any) as the district registrar and the committee may require in order to show the time served by such person as an apprentice outside of New Zealand. The hours worked by an apprentice shall, subject to the provisions of any statute, be those normally worked by journeymen in accordance with the provisions of the Motor Mechanics’ Award relating to the employment of journeymen for tho time being in force in the district.

An employer shall not permit an apprentice to work overtime on any night on which he has to attend classes at technical college. Apprentices under eighteen years of age shall not bo permitted to work overtime more than six hours in any one week. Apprentices over eighteen years and under twentyone years of age shall not be permitted to work overtime more than ten hours in any one week. Overtime shall be paid for at the rate of time and n-half for the first three hours and double time thereafter, but being not less than 9d per hour in any casef

After this order comes into force no employer shall employ an apprentice or apprentices unless his shop or garage is, in the opinion of the committee, sufficiently equipped to train apprentices, consideration being had to the practical training apprentices will receive at the technical school.

No premium in respect of the employment of any person as an apprentice shall be paid to or received by an om plover, whether such premium is paid by the person employed or by any other person. ' This order shall operate and take effect as from March 5. 1928. .