ARBITRATION COURT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2197, 22 May 1908, Page 1

ARBITRATION COURT.

sto5 to whk lir.st discovered about Jm.. on Wednesday, while the { touches were being put on ji of stowing .away the reinaiiijo. & the Turakina case over said a well-known odicer, is differenco, that we have it in time, and our chances ig the upper hand before any ions damage is done are still

ii ns, llio lire was reported tin.* how ipramjiMy, battened ncl Captain Carter j'iU’o ormvo steam directed into the Tlu* Wellington Harbor staff arrived with ifs s«l»l>liiihisl immediately, and soon .uici! services wore directed )io!d, know to l*o filled chiefilnx. Tlie cliemical gases nslinguish the tiro were geiiertlie mixture of sulpliurie acid jonate of soda. AVliile these were being actively employable Brigade's men (under iipormtendenl O’Brien) >aud I’olicc also arrived with their d continued to render valiistance. was continually poured on deck of the vessel, and_every on taken to keep down the tore as far as possible. The peter was frequently used to > temperature in the lower ltd after a number of tests .tlu* was satisfied that the fire was

-ci'ivoa nr whs fail’;' lira, <UW coutaincj oil a sit City moi of traini

winning Pullett’f attempt: troll 1. S ling go, mu lulled p ick, bn iiml Tlio wore ilej Will'll ill nnd wen re whom Sjllowiii A 1,11 AM City, l.ieked o diiilo nil Hot hnil Alliambr Give-nnd ilen (AH without j followed hull in racing i ball boll a goal, by Grill getting hnntbra l iled a 1

ANNUAL SITTING S,

•! Tho annual siltin-i of the Arbitra- ;! tion Court was continued yesterday 1 before His Honor, -Mr Justice Sim, * Messrs J. A. McCullough and h. Brown. j WATERSIDE WORKERS’ DlSj BUTE. ) When this dispute was called upon 'Mr Kirby for the Union Steam Ship Company, announced that a conference' hid been field between tho parities and a large number of claubeg ■in the demands had been settled and 'only a lew remained for tho Court to deal with.. j The hearing was set back on tho •list until i.ilter the enforcement ol ■ award eases had been dealt with. 811 EACH OF AWARD. W. Lewis was fined £3 with Court fees for a breach of tho Tailoresses’ award. John East was cited for having failed to pay the specified rate of wages to two carpenters in his employ. Mr Cannody, Inspector of Awards, said there were extenuating circumstances in the case and tho balance of the wages had been made up. Respondent said he tried to get a permit for the men to work’ for less than the minimum nuKjunt and when lie could hot get a permit paid them full wages. A lino of •L'il with Court lees was inflicted. The two employees Brodie and Allen who worked for tho last respondent for wages less than allowed by the award were then cited. Respondents were new arrivals in the colony and pleaded ignorance of the uiward. j 'Brodie was convicted of a breach, ' and Allen was fined ;Gl. E. S. Bryce was cited for a breach

of tho Carpenters’ and also a breach of the Painters’ Award. Mr Golins said the breaches were flagrant cases, for respondent refused to obey tho awards and continued to pay less than the minimum wages after hiving been warned. Respondent, who kept a store, paid wages in goods and kind in contravention of tlie law.

Mr Bryce informed the Court that although he employed the man as a carpenter, he was not a tradesman, and was not worth more than ho was paid. The man took goods in place of wages at his own request. Respondent was convicted of a breach of each award and was fined £5 in each instance.

WATERSIDE AVOHKEIIS’ DISPUTE. The dispute brought by the Waterside Workers Union was then heard. Messrs It. F. Way, G. Ansell, and J. Fitzmaurice appeared for the Union; Mr Kirby for the Union S.&. Comp my; Mr Pryor for the Napier* Stevedores Company, Mr Cederwell for the Gisborne Sheep Farmers Freezing Company and Mr AYarren for Messrs Nelson Brothers. Air Kirby said the employers had offered the men the same rate of wages .as allowed in the Napier Award. That was the principal matter ill dispute. His Honor 6aid the men would have to show a very good reason why they should be paid higher wages in Gisborne than in Napier. Air Kirby said the question of meals was also in dispute, but the more important (.lemonds had been agreed to.

Tlie demands filed were: (1) ji'or all classes of labor the or- ’ dinarv hours to be from 8 a.m. to •/ i).m. (exclusive of meal hour between 12 noon, and-1 p.m.). All other time , to be classed as overtime. (2) The minimum wage shall, jsuur. j jeet to the particular provisions hereinafter set forth, be as follows: Stevedore and general cargo work of all kinds (except Frozen Moat) at all places in the Fort and at the Breakwater, Is Id. per hour for ordinary time, and 2s Id for overtime. General cargo work of all kinds m the lloadsteud Is Gd per hour for ordinary timo and 2s Od-per hour lor overtime, The Employer is to supply meals at a deduction of not more than Gd. per meal when me tis are required oil' board ship or lighters. (II) The rate of working coal m the Roadstead to be Is Gd. per hour tor ordinary time and 2s 9d. per hour for overtime, and for working coal at the wharf to bo Is Gd per hour for ordinary time and 2s Gd per hour for overtime. (4) The rate of wages for handling Frozen Meat on hoard ships and lighters to be as follows: —Sheep and lambs, Gel per hundred: beef to be classed at Id sheep to the bullock; pieces to be classed at 8 to the sheep. (5) Deck hands and men in charge of the Gisborne tSheepfarmers’ lighters working frozen meat to be paid at the rate of Is Gd per hour right through. Deck blinds and men ill charge, of Nelson Bros’, lighters to remain as at present, being under contract, viz: Seven shillings per lighter. ,(6) Working in Gisborne roadstead, time to be from time of engagement till arrival back to wharf (exclusive of meal time). The minimum pay for one day to bo not less than four hours’ pay. (7) The following days to he recognised as holidays:-—New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labor Day. Sovereign’s Birthday’s, People’s Show Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. All work done on Good Friday, Christmas Day and Sundays, including frozen meat, to ho paid at the rate of double time or double rates. All work done on any other of tlie holidays to be paid for at the rate of ordinary overtime, except frozen meat, to bo paid at rate ami a-half. (8) Men may work during the meal hours, if required to do so, and shall be paid overtime rates (but tliey are not to be worked more thin six hours consecutively). The men to receive a full hour for their meal when they require it during the hours specified. Meal hours to lie breakfast one hour between 7 and G a.m., according to circumstances. Dinner hour 12 noon to 1 p.m. Tea dp.m. to 6p.m. .Supper one hour between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m., according to circumstances. Men employed from midnight' to 7 a.m. to receive lialf-an-hour for refreshment, for such half-hour no payment shall be made. Mutton barges on piece work to be excluded. When a meal hour occurs during the process of discharging a barge such meal hour is to be taken after the discharge of the barge. (9) All labor to be engaged at the shelter shed of tho wharf laborers. Any men required to work overtime to be engaged during the ordinary working hours. (10) The .working gangs below in tho port or roadstead on rill vessels, excluding lighters, shall consist of not less than 5 men for wool ; 8 men l'or

frozen meat; 4 men for general cargo; and 1 men for tallow. (11) The working gang for lighters for frozen moat to he not.less than 5 men, excluding man in charge of lighter,. and for general cargo to be not loss than 1 men, excluding mini in charge of lighter, Where there is less than 25 tons of cargo the number of men shall ho left to tho discretion of the employer. (12) The maximum weight oil a truck lor ono man shall be about G cwt.

(13) Mon engaged to work coal or general cargo at Nelson Bros’, works to bo allowed one hour extra pay for travelling to and from work. (13a) Men engaged to work on vessels in the roadstead are not compelled to work ill the lighters. (14) b'o long as the Rules of the Union permit any person of good elmiuctcr and sober habits to become a member upon payment of an entrance fee not exceeding live shillings, upon the written application, without ballot or other election, and so to continue upon contributing subscriptions not exceeding sixpence per week, the employers shall employ members of the Union in preference, to non-members, provided there arc members of the Union equally qualified with non-members to perform the particular work, hut this shall not compel an employer to dismiss any person now employed by him. (15) Employers in employing labor t shall not discriminate against members of the Union, and shall not, in the engagement or dismissal of men, or in the conduct of their business, do anything for the purpose of injuring the Union, directly or indirectly. When members ol the Union and non-members arc employed together there shall be no distinction between members and non-members, and both shall work together in harmony, and shall receive equal pay for equal work.

(10) This award shall apply only to casual labor, employed from day to day or from hour to hour. Weekly or permanent men, or men employed oil maintenance work shall be paid at rate of overtime before 8 a.m. and after o p.m. Mr Way said tls.it as the membership of the Union was 117 lie would ask that a preference clause be inserted in the Award.

George Ansell, secretary to the Gisborne Wharf Laborers’ Union, said that he was employed by the Gisborne Sheep Farmers’ Freezing Company as a loading and discharging hand.- lie was paid Gd per 100 for loading sheep and lambs. He classed a bullock equal to twelve sheep, and eight pieces equal to a sheep. The rate of pay for deck hands was Is Gd per hour and the Union asked Is 9d. There was a good deal of disadvantage and danger in loading the steamer conijiared to loading at the wharf. One serious accident had occurred at the steamer’s side. The Union had 117 members, and on a busy day about 100 men should meet all requirements. He asked the rate of overtime pay should be increased because it mostly took place at' night when the work was dangerous. To Mr Kilby: He had never worked cargo in any other port and was in Gisborne when the previous award came into force.

Mr Cederwell: Was not your earnings for 373 hours £sl 17s Gd of an , average earning of 2s ll ,d per hour? I Witness admitted that record might /hepeofrect. f /Air Cederwell: Did not your earn/liigs in loading tho KiapOra in April Hast average 3s 7d per hour for 39 hours? Witness: I have not made a culcullation.

) Mr Cederwell: Why should the ■UnioiUi claim 10s for. loading the Tawora _ when Tlic' vessel -could bo loilded in Napier for Gs? Witness: I have never worked in Napier, so that I can’t say. James 'Fitzmaurice, president of tlio Union, said lie was employed by Messrs Nelson Brothers, and the work for that firm was similar- lo that for the Sheep Farmers’' Company. Axell Christophelson, residing at Napier, said he had worked in both the Gisborne and Napier harbors for about twenty years. He thought the men who were engaged in loading in the roadstead should receive higher pay than the men working on the wharf. He admitted that lie would not be willing to accept hi lower rate of pay for work at Napier than at Gisborne.

To Mr Kirbv: He was a stevedore and could stow a ship. He did not think a wharf laborer could stow a ship. He did not think a man loading Home boats in Gisborne was any ■worse off than in Napier. William Taylor said that he had been paid 5s to 5s Gd an hour for loading the barges and considered the work worth the money because of the intense cold. Ho did not get enough work to keep him fully employed on the barges and did gardening also for a living. r This closed the evidence for the Union. Mr. Kirby said the witnesses had admitted there were no alterations in the conditions of the work since 1901, and he failed to see why tho rate of pay should he increased, and that the offer of tho employers to allow 2d extra per 100 sheep was a fair compromise. He would prove that tho employees of the Union S.S. Coy. at Gisborne earned £561, and in 1907, £llOs. That showed that work was more plentiful, and the men better off now than when the previous award was obtained. John Thomas Fenwick said he was manager for a line of lighters at Napier. When his firm was loading ships at Gisborne they often brought men from Napier, because they found a difficulty in getting local men. The men brought would all be members of the Napier Union, lie wished lo be safeguarded from a clause iii the award from bringing Napier moil. There was no difference between the work in Napier and Gisborne.

To Mr. Day: Me had been unable to get laborers in Gisborne, and did not think the local men. resented men being brought from Napier. Andrew Monson, foreman stevedore lor Messrs. Fenwick and Co., said ho had 20 year’ experience of the work. Me did not see any difference in working the Gisborne against the Napier roadstead. He was often unable to get labor for loading the lighters in Gisborne. He did not know of any alteration in the conditions of labor since the. award of 1904 came into force, In reference to the Tneal hour from 5 to 6 p.m.,' His Honor said that if the meals were provided on board and tlie men satisfied to only take half an hour, no overtime would be allowed. Herbert Barton, clerk in the Harbor Board Ollice, Gisborne, put in a

return .showing the number of light;»i*m employed. Captain llawkes, of tho tender “Tuatea”, said lie was in Gisborne when the 1901 award was made and tlm conditions of Urn waterside workovs wiu* byltor now tluiu thou. Jto luul not seen such bad weather at Napier as he had at Gishorne. There was a nettcr demand lor men now than in LPOI, anil the work was more continuous. . William Sewell, muster mariner ami marine superintendent lor tho Gisborne Sheep Carmel's Coy., said lie found great dilhculty in getting mod wharf laborers in Gisborne. = Godfrey Wilson, accountant in tlm employ of the Union S.S. Co., teste bed to the accuracy ot a written stntciiieut showing tlm wages paid to wharf-laborers, . .. . Mr Lewis put in u similar return from the books of the Gisborne bheep l.''armors’ Preening Company. Hr, Kirby then closed the of evidence for the Union b.b. Co.N. ilr. Warren submitted, there was no evidence before the Court to justify the demands of Hie workers, and asked the Court to give ltdl consideration to the depression that was iikelv to be felt all over tho Dominion. Owing to the heavy fall in tho value of wool) depression and uiisotxleci state of the meat market, and general tightness in the money market restricting financial accommodation, the whole Dominion! was at present face to face with a phase of financial depression which will affect the whole community, but more especially those engaged in pastoral and industrial pursuits, For the past live or six years times had been properous, and the workers have received mu terial increases in wages and more • favorable conditions of labor. At the same time this present phase of depression lias to be faced and it behoves everyone to use more than ordinary care. It is only logical and just that the workers having participated in the prosperity during the past few years, should share with the employers to some extent in the bad’ times which are now imminent. He was prepared to make an offer of 4d per 100 for putting the sheep into and out of the lighters, or Sd for every TOO sheep of cargo. Mr. McCullough “Practically a reduction of 33 per cent, and 50 per cent, on present, rates.” Mr. Warren said .that on behalf of Messrs. Nelson Bros, ho was prepared to accept the demands ns amended, with the exception of tho proposals lie had outlined. Mr. A. F. Kennedy, manager for Messrs Williams and Kettle.,'Ltd., Gisborne, gave evidence of the decline of tho m'iee of wool at present as compared with the four previous rears. The pastoralists would l'cel tho declino more directly than other people, but there would also be an indirect effect upon the general community. He estimated that the loss would he about £0 per bale, and would effect the Poverty Bay district to about £220,000. .

To Mr. Way: The price of wool was lower in 1001 anti 1902 than it was now. The price of crossbred wool in London was o.',d as against' 9d to lOd last year. The decline in the price of wool would reduce the price of sheep and the freezing companies would be able to buy stock cheaper than when wool was high in value. Mr. Pryor asked that a clause bo included in the award so that men who might engage in Napier to work temporarily in Gisborne should be subject to the Napier award, also* tlyt all permanent men should not be included in the award. '. Mr. Way briefly addressed the Court in reply to the evidence called by tho employers. ’ Hi* Honor suggested that both parties should have a further talk over the rate of pay for lightering. Mr. Pryor: We liad one last night, but the Union representatives would not give a point away. Mr Way: They can’t agree to accept less than they are receiving now. They are allowed lia.lf ian hour for walking to Messrs. Nelson Brothers, but that is the only concession they have obtained by meeting the employers. He asked the Court to allow tho men working in the roadstead a higher rate than the men working on the wharf. He would leave the result in the hands of the Court. In the meantime ho would discuss the main points, in dispute with the officers of the Union, and if a settlement was possible be would inform tho Court this morning. Tlie Court then adjourned until 10 o’clock this morning when the dispute will be further considered.