CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 October 1918, Page 7

CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

BAKERS' AND PASTRY COOKS' CJtSPDm j Tho Conciliation Council sat at the' courthouse, New Plymouth, yesterday for the purpose of hearing a dispute in the matter of the Taranaki Eaters' and Pastry-cooks' Industrial Union fof Workers. Mr T, Harle CJiku (Commis-* sioner), presided and the assessors were: For the employers, Messrs JS. May, and : P. iLeland (New Plymouth), and H. N. | Clement (Hawera): for the union, 'Messrs A. Angus, and W.. GaLlaliar (New "Plymouth), and 0. J. Veals (Auckland). The union filed claims based on the award of the Arbitration Court in Gisborne in connection with the same trade ! there, which provided for increased | wages and other Improvements in the 'conditions of tho workers. The employers refused to recognise the claims of the union, and filed a copy of the award of the Arbitration Court made on April 12, 1916, as a counter-proposal. The commissioner, in his opening remarks, said that he hoped the assessors : would approach the issues in dispute in an amicable and conciliatory spirit. He ; pointed out that in the past years there had been considerable increases made in wages to workers, which had been brought about by the abnormal conditions arising out ot the war, which had resulted in increases in the cost of | living. The position was that the emJ ployees found themselves unable to meet the increased cost of commodities and they had no alternative but to come and ask for increased wages in order to enable them to meet their obligations; The Government had. not taken the course of regulating the cost of living, but if they had, he was sure, the workers would have had no reason to njp,ke the demands for increased wages, such as have been made and granted. He was certain that the sympathy of the public was largely with the workers in their demands for a reasonable wage. He stated also that it was the duty of employers to seq that their workers received a living wage, and he detailed hia definition of what had been generally Accepted as a living wage. He, then said the onus of proving that the new claims of the union were just and reasonable was on the union, and pointed out that agreements had been amicably made in other districts, and also that the two disputes which had been before tho council in New Plymouth during last week had been settled satisfactorily to both sides. He pointed out that the Taranaki masterbakers would undoubtedly have to fall into lii>e with the awards made in other districts, and if they declined now to conciliate, the court would impose the conditions upon them, Such a result would mean that the men would accept the award in the spirit of "Thank you for nothing," find that was not in the best interests of the trade. He hoped the assessors on each side would so consider the position that an amicable agreement could be arrived at. In all probability the court would make an award on the lines of awards made in other districts, and date it from the time the dispute came before the Conciliation Council, shouM there be no settlement in the present proceedings. Mr Veale, for the union, agreed that the commissioner had put the matter very fairly. He referred to the Auckland and Gisborne disputes being settled without going to the Arbitration Court, and also to the Ohristchurch and Dijnedin disputes, the latter going to the court only as a formality. He said the union, while claiming that their demands were fair and just, had come to the council with an open mind. He also said that the position would have to be faced, and he did not know why, if agreements could be reached in other centres, an agreement should not be reached in Taranaki.

Mr May, for the employers, said they were quite prepared to grant an increase in wages to their employers in January or February when the Board of Trade •had said there would be no increase allowed in the price of bread. The masters did not wish their men to work for less than men in other trades, and were prepared to do 'the fair thing by them. Mr. May, whose remarks were supported by Mr. Clement, explained that that the master 'baiters had met the Board of Trade with a view to securing permission to increase the price of bread in Taranald, but this had been refused, The board, after discussion, desired the master bakers to convey to the Commissioner an intimation that it would not be a party to an increase in the wages paid to bakers and pastrycooks at the present time. The Commissioner replied that if the Board of Trade made such a statement as that, it was a most improper attitude for them to adopt. They had no power to say anything to direct the Commissioner or to interfere in any way with the functions of the Conciliation Council or the Arbitration Court. He resented very much any interference in this way by the Board of Trade. It was the first time that the Board of Trade had attempted to influence him in consideration of any dispute that had come before him. Such a course was a matter outside the province of the hoard. The Government had at no time, directly or indirectly, interfered with the Conciliation Commissioners, but desired that they should be free from any outside influence.

The union representatives decided that they could not agree to the postponement of consideration of claims until 'January or February. Some discussion then took place on the claims put forward, and ultimately the employers retired to consider the terms of the Auckland and Gisborne awards. When they came back they offered an all round increase of 7s Gd per week on the present award, other conditions to remain the same as now. They stated that in all probability if the increase® was accepted it would be made on the present wages paid. It was pointed out that the Taranaki bakers had received a half-crown over and above the rates paid in other centres in their last award, and that tiie adI vance of 7s Cd offered really deprived them of the. advantage they had previously received and the workors representatives therefore asked that the offer be increased by 2s 6d. The workers' assessors retired to consider the position and on returning replied that they were not prepared to accept less than a 10s increase, similar to that given in other districts. They also asked consideration of other conditions in which improvements were desired.

After a lengthy discussion, a full settlement was arrived at, the employers to grant an all-round increase of 10g per week to all workers covered by the award, which is to coma into operation on November 2 and extends over a period of two years. The rssessors for both sides conveyed thaii hearty thanks to tie Commissioner

for his able services in settling the di* pi'.te. The dispute of the hotel employees will be re-opened on.Thursday.