BONUS OF 3d an Hour for Freezing Workers

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 7, 23 January 1937, Page 5

BONUS OF 3d an Hour for Freezing Workers

-Press AssDciS|tion.)

DISPUTE SETTLED Minister Directs Terms of Agreement TWO-DAY CONFERENCE

(By Telegraph-

WELLINGTON, Jan. 22. A settlement of the freezing workers' dispute was effected today by the special conference held in Parliament House to discuss the conditions arising from the recent "stay-in" strike in the Auckland district. The representatives. of all the New Zealand employers and workers> at the direction of the Minister of Labour, the Hon. H. A. Armstrong, agreed that a# from the fixst of this month a bonus of threepence an hour shall be paid to all workers employed on an hourly basis, such bonus to be paid for all time actually worked. An overtime bonus rate has also been flxed at threepence an hour. At the eonclusion of the conference, which lasted for the greater part of two days, the Miaister of Labour, with the approval* of all' parties to the dispute, mad© the following statement — "The: public are aware of tho trouble that has arisen of eertain pro« visions contained in the award of the Arbitration Cdurt which, in the opinion cf the werkers concemed, operated unjustly against them and resulted in placing them in an unfair position as compared with workers in other indiistries. The clXmax was reached whon work was interrnpted . in the iudustry In Auckland. WORKERS'" OLAIMS. "As Minister of Labour X deemed it my duty in the public interest to endeavour in a constitutional way to bring about "a satisfactory solution of the questions in dispute and with that objeet in view X proceeded tp Au©kland where X was sueeesgful in inducing the workers to resume work on the understanding that a conference woulcil be held between their representatives and the employers in the industry for the purpose of discussing the workers' elaims. The result was that the men resumed work as requested and the conference commenced at Parliament Buildings yesterday morning. Both •xdes were fully represented. "The workers put forward a number of matters that were in dispute, but after discuseion reduced them to two Issues; A 40-hour week and an increasq in the hourly and pieeework rates. The representatives of the employers eontended that matters had been subinitted to- the Court of Arbitration, Whjch after hearing the evidence had given its award, and that it would be wrong in principle and tbey did not feel justjfied in agreeing to concede any higher rates during the cnrrency of that award. AWARD FIXED ONLY MINIMUM I pointed out that the award only fixed the irreducible minimum rates that ccvJd be p'aid in each department wd Pia not prevent employers irom increasxng such rates if they saw {it tq do so. Nor did it prevent representatives of tho qnione from mainng representations to the employers to have those rates increased. "I alsc pointed out that legislatijji, for v.liich 1 was responsible during tbe last session of Parliament was txxe subject oi representations by various septions oi employers after it had bec-ome law, ip which they pointed oqt that eertain provisions operated unfaiiiy or uuiustly to their partxcular industry. When I was ccnvinced they were justified In the representations made, 1 immediately had it amended accordingiy, and if it was rigiht for the employers to rnake representations to me after Aets of pariament had been passed to have unjust provisions remuvtd or amendej, sux ely the workers were eiuaity ©ntitled to approacb Ihe employers for any alteration in eertain provisions of the award, That pan be done and has been done in the past wxthoul xxi axiy w aj leflecting upoii ti e autiioxity ot th' Arbitration Co.irt, "As tar back as 1916, when Sir William lltrries was Minister for Labour, an award of the Arbitration Court was inade for drivers, who, however, ,ebellei against eertain of the provisions.

bu Herries brought the j.arties togetmr just as X have done on tlus o casiun and asked them to agiee fco xeler matters in dispute to Cabijjt, and by a Cabinet minute substantial tocreases were ma^e in the wages of workers shortJy after the award was tnade. I could quote a number of other instances where concessions have been granted by the employers on the re-* commendation of Ministers in order tq improve the conditions oi wages laid down in awards of the Arbitration i Court, MIi\lSTER 1NTERVENES 1 "The employers were unabl© tq •gree in this case to any increase in either the piecework or hourly rates, iior wer© they prepared to entertaii the proposai for the reducfion m hours of the work. Eventually I deemed if Biy duty as Minister of Labour to givo oame direetion iji tlie interests of in- 5

dustrial peaee and in justice to eertain sections of workers, "Without being unreasonable with the employers, I explained to the qpnference that pnly exceptional cjronmstances would warrant my following the 1916 preeedent quoted, but that. as such exceptional circumstances did appear now to exist, my direetion was that the workers on their part should hold in abeyanoe till the expiry of the award in June next their elaims for a ahorter working week and for increased piecework rates, and that the employers on their part should grant increased reiuuneratiou to hourly workers, particularly the lower-paid hourly workers "I directed further that, taking, all the circumstances inta qonsideration, both the employers and workers should accept it that the proposed increase to hourly workers is to take the form of a flat rate bonus of three pence an hour for all hours actually worked, including overtime. After both parties had retired tp confer separately, an agreement was entered intp embodying the terms of my directions. The agreer ment was signed by three represeptatives of each side and its terms are appended. "Although at times the conference appeared to have reached a deadlock, the proceedings throughout were friendly, and l very highly appreciate the attitude of bqth parties towards the Hon. W, Lee Martha and myself as Government representatives. The conference concluded with a vote of fehanks from both sides to my colleague and myself. "The terms of tbe agreement are as follow: The Minister of Labour having directed that the rates of remuneration to hourly workers employed under the terms of the New Zealand freezing workers' award shall be increased, it is hereby agreed that we accede to the Minister's direetion and that, as from thp 1st. day of January, 1937, a bonus of three-pence an hour shall be paid to all workers who are employed ou an hourly basis, in addition to the rates prescribed by section 2 of the above award. Such bonus shall be paid for all tjme actually worked, The rate of bonus paid in respect of overtime shall be three-pence per hour as in the case of ordinary time."