GENERAL LABOURERS’ DISPUTE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9134, 1 May 1908, Page 6

GENERAL LABOURERS’ DISPUTE.

A sitting of the Conciliation Board was held at Wellington yesterday for the purpose of further dealing with the application to extend the award of the Wellington General Labourers’ to the country districts* The members of the Board presentwere :—Messrs P. J. O’Regan (chairman), P. Bedford, H. Inues, A. J. Cooper and A. Collins, t Mr M. J. Riordau, secretary of tho union, addressed the Board on tho evidence adduced during the hearing’ of the case. With regard to the request that the hours of labour should be forty-six, he pointed out that though under the award of the General Labourers in Wellington tho hours were forty-eight it had been mutually agreed by employers and employees to only work forty-seven hours per week. He urged this as a reason why the Board should not consider it incumbent upon it to be consistent with the award of the' Court. He“asked that the hours be; fixed similar to those worked other trades in the country. For instance, if the carpenters of Wanganui worked forty-six hours then the building workers should only work the same hours. He had. no desire that the labourers should, wag the whole of the show, but bethought the hours of labour should be consistent.. Clause 8, relating to tunnel work, was the same provision, as the bank-to-bauk clause of thei Mining Act aud should not be taken exception to. He submitted that; the union had established the fact that the wages asked for were not unreasonable through an agreement, arrived at with the Rapier Borough Council. Ho contended, with regard to am ini mum wage, that abundant evidence had been given in the* different centres that the presentrate of pay for casual general labourers was not sufficient to enable them to . live. A lot of time was lost through bad weather, many cf the men were unable to earn a living, wage under the present conditions, and a substantial advance should bemade in order to allow the to live as they ought to live. Some provision should be made for the accommodation of workers engaged onbig buildings instead of them having; to upon the charity olf neighbours, as at present. Experience had shown that the two-mile radius granted in connection with suburban work had not proved satisfactory, and that was the reason why a reduction of the radius to one mile had been asked. The claim with regard to tools had been agreed to, being the existing practice. If the Board agreed to'grant preference he would have employment books placed at the principal centres, but he would®like|to see preference made to apply within a given radius of, say, twenty miles from*auy centre in which the union placed an employment book, and after notification in the local paper. Preference had previously been a bone of conteution to employers, but on this occasion the majority of the employers were quite satisfied to concede it. The union had a membership of 1200, branches at Palmerston Rorth, Wanganui and Rapier, aud were also working under a reciprocal agreement with the separate union at Masterton. Another sitting of the Board will be held to-morrow to take evidence in |connection with the portion of the dispute relating to meat workers.