FLAXMILLS AWARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1637, 14 November 1916, Page 3

FLAXMILLS AWARD.

APPLICATION FOR AAIENDMENT. The Award under which (he flaxmills in this district are at present working was made on September I3lh, 1915, and continues in force until September 13th, 1917, but by clause b of seel ion 213 (bo Arbitration Court has the right to suspend, alter, amend or' vary any of the provisions of flic award, upon application of any party to the award, in accordance with this clause, the Manawaln Elixmills Employees’ Union has applied for an amendment of ihe clauses fixing the wages and hoard allowed to be charged. The minimum rales of: pay as lixed by the award are as follows: —

Stripper-keeper, Is !)d per hour; automatic scutcher, Is 5d per hour; bench- loaders, Is 2d per hour; paddockers, Is 2ld per hour; low-shakers. Is Id per hour; feeders. Is 4d per hour: sorters, is Id per hour; rousealimns. Is Id per hour; labour not specified, Is Id per hour; washers, Is 2.}d per hour; drivers for driving and all ending to one or more horses, £2 12s (id per week. The minimum wage for piecework paddocking shall be — From the Ist April to the 3(lth September, inclusive, £1 3s tid per ton; Ji’uiii ihe Ist October to the 31 si March £1 per ton. When carting is done os per ton shall be added to Ihe foregoing rates; when tail-cut-ting is done by paddockers an additional 2s 3d per ton shall be paid. The minimum rate for culling /lax shall he 5s per ton. The minimum rate for hand sen!citing shall he £1 8s per ton. The Union is asking that (he ahove clause he amended (o provide tluil Ihe minimum rates of pay shall be as follows: —Si ripper-keepers, 2s per hour; automatic scutcher, Is St! per hour; bench-loaders Is (id per hour; paddockers, Is 71 per hour; tow-shakers, Is 4ld per hour; feeders, Is 7ld per hour; sorters,' Is lld per hour; rousea bouts, Is 4ld per hour; washers. Is (id per hour; labour not specified, Is 4ld per hour; horse-drivers, £3 3s per week one horse, and an extra 5s per week for each additional horse; tail-cut ting, Is per loift llax-cntting, (is per ton; scutching, 30s per tmi; paddocking, piecework, from April Ist to September 301 b, both inclusive, 32s (id per Ion; from October Ist to March, 31st, bolli inclusive, 30s per ton; 5s per ton to he added when carting is done. The piecework rate for tramming llax shall he at Ihe rate of 2s Jld per ton, all trammers to share in the jolt. The present hoard clause is as follows: —Where hoard is provided for the workers the food shall be sufftcienl in <jiianti(y and of good (|naiily, and the charge therefore, whether board shall be provided directly by the employer or by any person under contract with him, shall not exceed 17s (id per week', nor shall any additional charge he made by way of rout for use of buildings, payment for use of cook-ing-utensils, or otherwise howsoever. It is asked that Ibis danse he ameitded in ralio will) tin* cost of living; the Court to insert a hoard chime, to prevent workers being charged more for board than that stipulated in the Amendment. The date of hearing <d' the application lias not vet been llxed.