METAL WORKERS

Evening Star, Issue 22440, 10 September 1936, Page 11

METAL WORKERS

APPLICATION FDR NEW AWARD CONCILIATION COUNCIL HEARING Concerning hours of work, wages, holidays, classes of work, female employees, and other matters, the dispute between the Otago Metal Workers Assistants’ Industrial Union of Workers and 77 employers cited as respondents was heard by the Conciliation Council to-day. Mr S. Ritchie, commissioner, presided, and the following were the assessors:—Employers Messrs J. Black, C. B. Mercer, T. Marlow, and H. Brown; employees—Messrs J. Sliirretfs, H. Chettleburgh, J. Jamieson, and J. Robinson. There was a full discussion this morning, and when the luncheon adjournment was taken a settlement had not been reached. , The main claims of the workers were: Forty hours shall constitute a week's work, of ■which eight hours shall be worked on five days of the week. The hours of starting and ceasing work shall be arranged in each establishment between the hours of 7.30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on five days of the week, with a break of not more than one hour for lunch. The ordinary working hours shall be worked between Monday , and Friday inclusive. The following shall he the minimum rates of wages to be paid to the following classes of workers :—Tippling furnaceman, 3s 3d an hour; tubular steel workers, 3s 6d; hollow steel and sheetmetal work, 3s 3d; architectural iron, steel, and bronze workers, 3s 6d; looksmiths, 3s 3d; wire workers, 3s 3d; zinc sprayers, 3s 3d; sand blasters, 3s 3d; fettlers (cast steel), 3s; steel sash, lift, and grill workers, 2s lid; electric welders, 2s lid; cupola furuacemen, 2s lid; implement litters, 2s lid; implement assemblers, 2s lid; all strikers (blacksmiths and boilermakers), 2s lid; machinists, 2s lid; marine and ships repair workers, 2s lid; porcelain enamel workers (day workers), 2s lid; steel foundry labourers, 2s lOd; all other workers, 2s lOd. Workers employed in connection with porcelain enamelling plants who are required to work shifts shall be paid 3s per shift in addition to the minimum rate herein prescribed for that class of work. Boys and youths in the proportion of one boy or youth to every three adult workers in receipt of the minimum wage, may be employed at not less than the following rates of pay:— Under 16 years of age, £1 10s a week; 16 to 17 years of age, £1 17s; 17 to 18 years of age, £2 ss; 18 to 19 years of age, £3; 19 to 20 years of age, £3 15s. For work done on Sunday, Mew Year’s Day, January 2, Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Monday, Sovereign’s Birthday, Labour Day, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and Anzac Day double-time rate shall be paid. All work in oil tanks shall be classed as dirty work and shall be paid for at double-time rates. All marine and ship repair work shall be classed as dirty work and shall be paid for at Is 6d a day extra. All welding on ship repair work and marine boiler work shall be paid for at the rate of Is 6d aday in excess of the ordinary rates. Any worker employed at the following work shall be paid Is 6d a day extra as dirt money:—Under lower platform in engine rooms and stokeholds, in con-

fined spaces about ships’ boilers, or between ship’s side or bunker bulkhead and boilers, or between top of boiler and deck, repairing smokebox doors, uptakes, and inside funnels, working inside furnaces, back ends and through manholes, all repairs inside bunkers, all repairs inside ballast tanks, overhauling winches, traction engines, locomotives, and undergear of tramcars, operating sand-blasting machines, tar baths, and fettling. Female employees may be employed under the conditions laid down in the award for male workers, subject to the following special conditions: —A recess period of 15 minutes shall be allowed and paid for during every morning and afternoon. Work and operations upon which female labour may be used: Viewing and examining, light drilling, light riveting, tapping and screwing, light milling or grinding, light lathe work, light press work, assembling, soldering, painting and spraying, packing, coremaking. The minimum rtaes of wages for females shall bo; For the first six months, £1 a week; for the second six months, £1 ss; for the third six months, £1 10s; for the fourth six months, £1 15s; for the fifth sixth months, £2; for the sixth six montM, £2 ss; for the seventh six months, £2 10s; for the eighth six months, £2 15s; for the ninth six months, £3; thereafter, £3 ss. Other provisions sought were in relation to salvage work, overtime, accidents, conveniences for workers, etc., and the term of the new award, which would operate throughout Otago and Southland, was asked for at six months. ,• . The employers did not admit tne claims of the applicants, submitting as their counter-proposals the existing award.