INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 216, 12 August 1937, Page 2

INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES

ARBITRATION COURT. FLAXMILL EMPLOYEES’ CASE. Objections to any further delay in attempting to reach some finality in the llaxmiils' employees dispute was raised on behalf of the workers by Mr R. J. Reardon in the Arbitration Court at Palmerston North today, when an adjournment was sought by Mr S. I. McKenzie on behalf of the employers. His Honour Mr Justice O’Regan presided, With him as assessors being Messrs W. Cecil Prime (employers' representative) and A. L. Monteitii (employees’ representative). It was stated by Mr McKenzie that new machinery, now on hoard tho steamer Essex, would he installed in the Foxton factory in six or seven weeks’ time, involving a complete reclassification of the employees. He suggested that in the meantime, and pending tho Court’s intended pronouncement at Auckland on the question of wages, some temporary arrangement might be reached with the union. Objecting, Air Reardon stated that there bail been difficulty in getting the employers to file counter-claims for Conciliation Council proceedings. Progress had been held up months ago because it was stated that new machinery wes to be installed. Meanwhile, he stated, workers were receiving low wages, and were anxious to have the dispute settled, as they were not under an award.

Admittedly, said Air McKenzie, there had been a certain amount of unavoidable delay, but the union had been inlorined that the employers would endeavour to meet it on the question of v.e.gcs if specific cases were cited. However, the union had done this in onlv one .instance. ATost of the employees were juveniles, and were receiving a, great deal in excess of the minimum rains under the Factories Act. A fixture for the hearing of the matter was tentatively made for Tuesday, with the suggestion bv His' Honour that the parties should confer in an endeavour to reach an arrangement pending the Auckland announcement on wage rates, and the installation of tho new machinery. PLASTERERS’ DISPUTE.

It was announced that a. complete agreement hr.d been reached in Conchi at! on Council in the fibrous plasterers’ dispute, .and ail award was made in the terms of this, the wage rates to be retrospective to July 10. OTHER BUSINESS. Complete agreement had been reached in Conciliation Council, it was stated in the coastal shipping (master and others’) dispute, with the exception of exemption sought by a compuny, whose application .is to be heard in Auckland.

Notification of an agreement reported to have been reached in the wire workers’ dispute was held over until Alonduy. Application was made for the adjournment of the clerical workers’ (except 25 miles radius) dispute in view of the recent decision of the Court of Appeal. This course was adopted. His Honour commenting that he was afraid their hands were manacled in the meantime. The framing of an award based upon a complete agreement reached in Conciliation Council was sought in the Hawke’s Bay builders and general labourers’ dispute, but as . objections had been lodged by the At ellington Labourers* Union and the Napier Harljoiir Board to their inclusion as parties, consideration of this matter was deferred until to-morrow.

TIMBER WORKERS’ A WAR D. Joint applications ‘were made by the New Zealand Sawmillers’ Association and the Wellington, Taranaki, and South Auckland Timberworkers’ Industrial Union for an interpretation of the timber yards and sawmills award, the question at issue being whether rates of pay could be adjusted accordingly where the maximum working hours were reduced to forty weekly. _ Mr A. Seed appeared lor the Sawmillers’ Association, and stated that when the award was amended last October, it was tacitly agreed that it would be accepted for the whole industry. irrespective of any legal technicalities. . , Mr W. Read, representing the union, pointed out that as there weie no awards ill existence in the areas mentioned at that time, no application. could be made to amend them to brill" them into line with an agreement which stipulated that wages were not to be reduced where the weekly working hours were reduced to forty. Decision was reserved.