FLAX WORKERS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 220, 17 August 1937, Page 2

FLAX WORKERS.

TEXTILE FACTORY. AWARD APPLIED FOR. Application was made to the Arbitration Court, sitting in Palmerston North, last evening, by the Ma.nawatu Flax Mills and Flax Textile Employees’ Union of Workers for an award covering those employed at the woolpack textile factory at Foxton. The questions referred to the Court were tnose of hours of work, wages, annual holiday, piecework and the term of the award.

His Honour Mr Justice O’Regan presided. There were associated with liim Messrs W. Cecil Prime (employers’ assessor) and A. L. Monteith (employees’ assessor) . Mr F. D. Cornwell (Wellington) appeared for the applicant union and Messrs S. I. McKenzie and F. W. Vickerman (Foxton, man-aging-director of the company) lor the respondent company. Outlining the demands of the union, Mr Cornwell said 40 hours a week, from Monday to Friday inclusive, were the hours claimed, and the weekly wages asked for were £5 or, if an hourly rate was decided on, 2s 6d an hour, and that for adult female workers £3 a week, or Is 6d an hour. For shift work Is Cd a night extra was claimed. It was advanced that the work was ' heavy, arduous and exacting, and a week’s holiday on the completion' of 12 months’ work was claimed. The term of the award was suggested as 12 months. Opposing the application. Mr Vickerman said he regretted having to oppose , the claims, but assured the Court that ho did so on the score of finance. There were 165 employees at the present time and the worker-hourly wage 6toed at 14.4 d, while at the time he had gone to the factory it had been lOd. He asked that any award be deferred until January next, or made to apply from that date. Machinery which was really obsolete was being replaced by machinery of the latest design, which was actually, on the Wellington wharves now, ex the steamer Essex. The company was prepared to meet arv cases of hardship. A 44-hour week was necessary. , Evidence was given bv l>ntb sides and the Court adjourned at 10.50 p.m. until to-day. , . ~ . Further evidence was heard tins morning and the continuation of the case was then adjourned till this aiteinoon.