WORK AND WAGES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 169, 4 December 1912, Page 5

WORK AND WAGES.

THE BAKERS' AWARD. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Tuesday. The inability of the bakers and their employees to arrive at an agreement with regard to the night shift has resulted in the issue of an ultimatum by between forty and fifty operative bakers to cease work on Saturday unless what they regard the spirit of the arbitration award is adhered to by certain master bakers. Only four or five employers are concerned. The Court recently abolished the night shift, except on the payment of double time. Since then the employers have made repeated applications to have the clause relating to the night shift-suspended for twelve months, on the ground that it involves great inconvenience and expense. Last Saturday an order was granted suspending the order for six months, and allowing an extra payment of 7s Od weekly for the men so employed. The union claims that an order supplementing an award should be issued only in cases of emergency and where, the consent of both sides is obtained, wiiereas they were never consulted by the Court."

THE TIMARU TROUBLE. Timaru, Last Night. There has been a good deal of discussion of the waterside strike to-day, but no change in the situation. The unionists declare that the two men who are the subject of the dispute were supported by the union in getting a rise in February, and can see no objection to their being members of the union as well as the Railway Society. These two men are not "permanent*' railway hands, but casuals. If they were permanents the union would not have objected to them. ■Mr. Stringleman, district traffic manager, came down from Christchurch today. In reply to a suggestion that the two men should be made permanents, he said that this is impossible, they being over age. The Department did not intend to interfere in the matter at present. The waterside agreement that preference be given to unionists had nothing to do with the Department. It was only binding on the shipping people.

The union secretary went to Lyttelton to-day. In consequence of the strike the Union Steam Ship Company has cancelled all advertisements of hoata calling here.

TURNED DOWN BY THE FEDERATION. Auckland, Last Night. A meeting of the executive of the Federation of Labor was held in Auckland to-day, presided over by the president, Mr. P. 6: Webb. The strike of the Timam waterside workers came up for discussion. The fact that the Timaru men had taken upon themselves the responsibility of striking without first consulting the Federation executive was dwelt upon at some length. Eventually the executive* decided to notify the Timaru strikers that they must return to work till at least the Federation executive had an opportunity of thoroughly investigating the dispute.