PRINTING INDUSTRY

Evening Star, Issue 22461, 5 October 1936, Page 2

PRINTING INDUSTRY

SATISFACTORY SETTLEMENT OF DISUTE A COMPLETE AGREEMENT [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, October 4. A complete agreement in tho printing industry dispute was concluded on Saturday by tho Conciliation Council which met last Wednesday in continuation of its proceedings in Juno. The settlement determines the conditions of employment in one of tho largest industries in tho Dominion, as the two awards under review apply to newspaper printing and publishing, commercial printing, tho manufacture of stationery, and associated industrial activities. Tho only matter referred to tho Arbitration Court was the preference clause. A long sitting of the council was held last June. An agreement was then reached on most of tho machinery clauses of the two awards. The proceedings were adjourned pending a decision by the Court of Arbitration regarding the hours to be worked under the Factories Amendment Act. Judgment was given by the court that the reduction of hours prescribed by the existing awards was impracticable. An order was made_ permitting the employers in the industry to work 44 hours a week,' with 42 for certain classes of day workers, and for all night workers. The question of the hours of work occupied tho whole of tho first two days’ proceedings of the council. The workers’ representatives strongly pressed the view that the hours should bo modified, and after a long discussion the possibility of an agreement was discovered _by_ their acknowledgement of the principle that in view of tho complexity and variety of conditions in several branches of tho industry it would be wiser to step down the hours instead of attempting to enforce a drastic alteration immediately. The employers then presented a written proposal to reduce the hours for all workers in towns with a population of over 6,000 by two steps, in October and April, each of one hour in the case of the 44-hour workers, and of half an hour for the 42-hour workers, the prescribed weekly wages to be paid for the shorter week, and the employer to have the right to use the additional hours at tho ordinary rates of pay. The offer proposed that workers engaged in newspaper production should work six days a week, and other workers five clays, the maximum hours per day to bo nine to enable a five-day week to bo worked. As tho result of a long discussion tho proposal was amended by the exclusion from its operation of stationery manufacturing, and by making a reduction to 42 and 41 hours hours respectively as from October 8, and also by amending to 40 hours per annum the total added time that might he worked at ordinary rates. _ These provisions were incorporated in the form of an agreement. The employers also agreed to recommend all employers in the smaller towns to reduce the actual working hours as far as possible in order both to give their employees immediate benefit and also to adjust their businesses to the possibility of a compulsory' reduction by 7 further legislation. The agreement also preserves the former provision for 10 hours a day in weekly and certain country newspaper offices, and one of the new clauses permits a 10-hour day in each week for publishing workers who arc brought into the award for tho first time. Wages were fixed at the rates for the two classifications before the reduction in 1031, the only increase being that promised by the employers in Juno for certain classes of stereotypers and rotary machinists. Holidays were fixed at one week annually, together with eight statutory days and one additional day providing for Anniversary Day or its equivalent. . . . A new definition of night work was adopted for both awards. Tho agreement will come into force in the first working week in each factory commencing after October 8, and will continue until August 31, 1937. At tho conclusion of the proceedings tho Commissioner congratulated the assessors on the success of their efforts to effect a complete settlement.

On behalf of tho workers’ representatives, Air C.' H. Chapman said that as a result of the reasonable attitude of the employers an agreement had been reached which he should defend against tho most critical members of their organisations. Although the workers hoped shortly to achieve their objective of 40 hours a week, he was confident that the agreement would be recognised as a genuine effort by the employers to meet the wishes of the workers. As the result, a contented spirit would be restored in the industry.