Full Agreement

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 16, 3 February 1937, Page 4

Full Agreement

H.B. LOCAL-BODY LABOURERS "Probably Their Best Award in History of N.Z." SCHEDULE 0F WAGEs ' ' A complete agreement which was arrived at in conciliatiftn re» presents probably the best aWard for labourers conceded by the xepresentatives of local hodiee in the history of this country," said the Coneiliation Commissioner, Mr. M. J, Reardon, last evening in commenting upon the work of the Council of Coneiliation which. has been engaged in Napier for the' past two days in fixing an agreement as the basis of an award for most local-body employees in the Hawke 's Bay provlnciai district. In addition to a 40-hour week, several concessions not hitherto made' te the workers have been grahted. The agreement affeets all .labourers employed by borough eouncits, town' boards, harbour boards "and power boards in the Hawke 's Bay provineial district," covers all aspects of the work, ineluding hours, wages and holidays, and makes proviaidtt fof younger workers, in addition to adult labourers. "The great Worry of the average unskilled labourer is lost time through bad weather,'' said Mr. Reardon, in ref erence to the inclusion Of a clause providing that an employee, after six months' service, should be placed on a minimum weekly wage of £4 10/-, "and that is a clause that , eliminates " the greatest trouble' of the unfekilled labourer, .broken time." Other f eatures which have not previously been included in working agreements are in regard to the holidays* A worker will ndW be paid for the following holidays: — New Year's Day, Good Friday, Eastcr Monday, Anrae Day, Sovereign's Birthday (or any Other day commonly accepted in lieti thereof in New Zealand), Labour Day, Ohristmas Day, Boxing Day and a show day. In addition to these holidays, a worker will receive by this aWard a Week's holiday on full pay during each year of service for the same employef* Both these features are new in that previously pay was not granted for nxanyof the statutory holidays of the year and no provision was made fer payment for an annual holiday* The wages clause of the agreement comes into force a B from Maroh 1, but the remalnder will bis immediately ; forwarded to the Court of Arbltratioa with a recommendation that it be con* stituted an award by the Oourt. Following is the agreement, signed by the Mayor of Hastings, Mr. G. A. Maddison, the MayOr of Napier, Mr* C, O. Morse, the Hastings Town Olerk,' Mr. Noel 0. Harding, and the Napier borough engineer, Mr. W. D. Corbett:— HOURS OF WORK. A 40-hotir week Shall be worked on Mondays to Fridays inclusive, although certain exceptions to this fule havi been made in order that essential public services, such as street cleaning, attendance at baths, cemetery work and attendance on beaches may be carried Out, WAGES. Labourers ............. 2/3 an nour Bitumen and tar workers 2/4 an hour Drainlayers (ordinary) . -2/4 an hour Dfainlayers (difty Wdrk) 2/5 an honr Waterworks overseers £5 5/- a week Turncoeks £5 5/- a week Fuil-time batttfs atten- . dants £5 ,5/* i weeM Quarrymen, 12 feet off ground i.ii.t.M... 2/4 an JxoUf Others 2/3 an hour Certified men handling explosives ......... 2/6 an hour Fuil-time pump attendants - £5 5/f a week Part-time pump attendants 2/6 an hduT Gardeners ........... 2/3 an hour Cemetery Bextons ••»* £4 15/- a week Ref use collectors «... '2/4 an hour Gangers 1/- a day extra, Men sinking shafts ever six feet deep_ ld an hour extra. Napier council repr&sentatives exY>ressed themselves as willing to assisfc botany students who wished to gala experience to augment the scientific side of their studies and at the same timo to eam a moderate wage. .f It was provided that horticnltural fetudents should be paid the following rates:— First year, £1 a week; second year, £1 10/-; third year, £2 10/-; and therw after at adult rates of pay. In regard to the employment 6i youths on ordinary labouring work, it was stipulated that youths up to the age of -17 should be paid £l 10/- a week, thCse up to the age of 18, £2 a week, those up to the age of 19 £2 12/6 a week, and thereafter at adult Tates of pay. ,