CONCILIATION COUNCIL

Evening Star, Issue 22463, 7 October 1936, Page 15

CONCILIATION COUNCIL

TAILORING WORKERS' DISPUTE H« AGREEMENT REACHED The hearing of t-ho industrial dispute between the Otago and Southland Operative Tailors and Shop Tailoresses’ Industrial Union of Workers and 91 master tailors in Otago and Southland occupied the attention of the Conciliation Council this morning. The commissioner (Mr S. Ritchie) presided, and (ho assessors wore: Employers—Messrs J. M'Crao, A. Smith, A. Martin, and R. J. Davies; employees—Messrs F. J. Helen;-., D. MTntosh, A. E. Wood, and R. C. Wilson. Briefly, the workers’ claims were: The hours of work for the first nine months of the year (January to September, inclusive) to be 40 a week, worked between 8 a.ni. and 6.30 p.m. for five days of the week. The hours of work in the remaining months to be 44 a week, to be worked between 8 a.in. and 5.30 p.m., except on Saturday (8 a.m. to noon). The minimum weekly wages (including pressers) to be £4 17s a week. No deduction to be made from the weekly wages, save tor time lost through the worker’s sickness, default, or slackness of work, provided that in the latter case the minimum amount payable to the worker for any time worked during any one week is not less than half the weekly wage. All wages to be paid weekly, and pieceworkers to be paid in accordance with a special time statement. Pieceworkers employed making* ladies’ garments and military work to bo paid at the rate of 2s 3d an hour. All work performed beyond the hours proscribed to bo considered as overtime and paid for as follows;—Weekly hands, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m., time and a-half, and thereafter double time; from 0 a.m. to 8 a.m., time and a-half. Piece workers: From G p.m. until 9 p.m., Is an hour extra, and thereafter 2s an hour extra. All work done on Saturdays during the first nine months of the year and after noon on the remaining Saturdays to be paid for as follows:—Weekly hands, double time; piece-workers, 2s an hour extra. Ten days to be set aside as recognised holidays. Several workrooms used by the employer to be considered as one workroom for the purposes of the award, and during the slack season employer and employees to keep a “ turn-board.” No distribution of work known as the “ teams system.” One weekly wage man in each firm may have the assistance of one journeywoman in the event of the weeklywage man having a male apprentice, the assistance of the journeywoman to be suspended after the apprentice has served two years. Garments sold as 44 tailor-made ” to be made in the workshop or premises of the employer by whom the order is taken. Tailormade goods to include _ all garments fitted on before completion or sold as 44 tailor-made,” or in any way that customers will believe they are obtaining a tailor-made article. At the first 44 try-on,” when the workman has given the cutter the coat to mark up and cut out, if the worker is kept idle for more than 20 minutes by reason of the cutter not giving him back the coat within that time, he to be paid full time for any time over the 20 minutes ho is kept idle. < All pressers to be bonafide tailors subject to the provisions of the award,, hut_ an employer not to be compelled 'to dismiss a presser or disqualify for employment any person who is a qualified presser, by reason of his having been employed in the past as a tailor’s presser. No counter-claims were offered by the employers, hut an agreement had not been reached when the council adjourned till-this afternoon.