Printers’ Dispute.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 October 1922, Page 3

Printers’ Dispute.

L ui iellohach -run rntas association j WELLINGTON, October 2. The hearing of the Typographical dispute has commenced in the Arbitration Court. Tile object of the proceedings is to secure, il possible, a Dominion award. All F. l’irani, oil behalf of the Wellington newspaper proprietors, expressed regret that the Typographical Union had not agreed to hold a cooler once except under the conditions that the' employees must first be concede, a basic wage of £5 10s for compositors, as against the existing wage .of C 4 10s. yd, and a bonus of 9s. The employers’ representatives were prepared to meet the other side in a reasonable manner. They were willing to give the existing wages, with bonus incieases as they occurred,, and to allow the whole matter to stand on that basis for the present. The trade could not stand any further increases in pay, or any (eduction in hours. Regarding linotype operators, the employer’s, desired to have an hourly rate of pay fixed, so that those who wished to do so might give the system 11 trial. Air I’iralii said lie would not call evidence.

Mr C. H. Chapman, for the typographical section of the employees, said that experience had shown that the weekly rate was advantageous to the employers and the workers alike. The Union had asked in vain for reasons for the proposed change, and, in the absence of reasons, the workers were strongly against hourly rates. Air Chapman said the employers’ ! ropesal for a rate of 2s an hour in the cities and Is lid in other towns, compared with the present wage of £5 8s per week, and upwards, was ridiculous, taking into accoifnt the wages paid to a case hand, the scarcity of skilled operators and the prosperous state of the printing trade. Ten per cent, extra for night work was proposed, as at present, but tlie Union claimed that night w< rkers should get 20s extra. The | ieoework in New Zealand was the lowest paid in the world. Air Chapman said New Zealand operators on piece work-sometimes made £7 to £8 weekly. 111 Australia, for similar work, the wages would be £lO to £l2. The hours were fixed in 1900 at -12 per week, and there had been no improvement since. Now tlie employers pro posed to increase hours to 45. The Union hoped the Court would he more inclined to decrease the hours.

EVIDENCE CALLED. WELLINGTON. October 2. In the Typographical dispute before the Arbitration Court, no evidence was called for the employers. The calling of evidence for the employees commenced shortly before the Court rosw for (In* day.

One witness an employee, i ( the Government Printing Office, said lie considered the general < ninlitiens were detrimental to health, and added that the bright metal used with the monotypes was very harmful to the eyesight. Another member of the Government Printing Staff expressed the opinion that nionotyjiists .should be paid more than linotypists. A third witness gave evidence to the clfect that there should not be any difIcreiitution in the p iv according to the size of the town. The ea'-o preceeds to-morrow.