Labour Conditions.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 29 May 1912, Page 3

Labour Conditions.

NEW AWAUD i''oi! I'U'MJJEKS AND GASFITTKK.S. From the Department of Labour (l'alniLTrtton Uraiich.) t!ie following r, details have been sent to us regarding the new a ward governing plumbers and gaslittors working in I,ev- *• in. Otaki, and other .specified places:-— J'AL.MEIJ-S'I'GM N'., May 27. A new I'litmbors' and Gash'ttere , Award nun o into force on the 22nd of April, 11.)V2,l 1 .)V2, and all workers require to lie paid accordingly from . that date. The following are the chief items of interest to both employers and workers:— The Award embraces Woodville, Levin, Feikling, Koxton, Palmerston .North, Otaki, Bulls, and other places ill this district. Plumbing is d'fined to mean and include ship building, all .sanitary work, gas fitting, h'i*. and cold water fitting, liot water and heating apparatus, fixing or roofing, spouting, downpipes, gutters, valleys and flashings in any metal, iron drainpipes and vc'nts to any house or 'building. The hours of wui ic shall not exceed 4o per week. Not more than 8h hours on Jive days o' t!ie week and not more than o hour:; on the day of the weekly haU'-holidaj. Wages are fixed rl; Js 5d an ihoitr to plumbers holding certificates granted by the City and GuijtTs-of London Institute or other certificate of equal value, and Is id to every Ww pother journeyman. plnn.Lor or gasfitter.' Overtime niL* arc f.rcrilled for 4, liuUdays. Country work means work which necessitates a worker lodging elsewhere than at Mr usual pkee of reBidence. "Workers employed upon country work are to he conveyed to ; and from free of charge and suitable

■board and lodging must be provided or Is per d y extra and suitable place to .sleep in. Country workers can arrange rates for overt .me provided the hours shall not exceed three in any one day. Suburban work means work done at a distance or over two miles from the employer's place of business, but which does not come within the definition of country work. Workers are to be conveyed to suburban work by their employers free of charge. Assistants arc limited to one to every journeyman. Assistance shall serve not loss than six years at the end of which time they shall be deemed to be improvers and shall be paid Is 3d an hour. Three months' probation is permitted for assistants or apprentices. An employer who engages an assistant shall ho deemed to liave undertaken the duty of teaching him the trade, which duty shall be enforcible under the Award. Certain rates are (ixed for apprentices or assistants. T T ntler-rnte permits may be fixed by the Tn pei (,->r (if Aware!'-. I , reference c!h<\m-. . \Vlieiiever an employer shall < n,|,i.)y any worker who is not a member of the Fnion he shall, within twenty-four hours thereafter, give notirn in writing of such employment to 'li- secretary of the I'nion. and the employer shall dismiss a nun-unionist if requested to do so by the Union provided there is then a member of the Union equally qualified to do the work. Employers shall provide workers with soldering bolts, iron pipe fitting tools, metal pots, plumbing irons, mandrels and file*. "Workers to provide all other tools. Waces to be paid weekly or fortnidi tly. Xo piece work is permitted, (las companies and Municipal Corporations and other local bodies shall nay workers not less than the wages fixed by the Award and overtime in excess of )."> hours per week and for holidays. Thev are exempted from operation of all the other provisions of the Award.

W. J. CULYEI?. Inspector of Awards