CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 July 1922, Page 6

CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

SITTING AT NEW PLYMOUTH. STOREMEN AND. PACKERS DISPUTE. The Conciliation Council sat in the Courthouse, New Plymouth, yesterday, to hear the dispute between the New Plymouth United Storemen and Packers Industrial Union of Workers (applicants) and Messrs. J. H. Cock and Co., and others (respondents). The Conciliation Commissioner (Mr. P. Halley) presided and Mr. C. H. Wynyard represented the employers. The representatives from the union did not attend. EMPLOYEES’ DEMANDS. The employees’ demands were for an eight-hour day on five days of the week, and. four hours on Saturdays. Rates ofpay were to be not less than 2s 3d per hour for casual workers in stores, and £4 15s per week for permanent employees, casual workers to be paid a minimum of one hour’s pay for any part of an hour worked. An additional threepence per hour was asked for men handling hides classing rabbitskins and workers in charge of seed cleaning machines. For workers handling manures 2s 7|d was the rate asked with a minimum of one hour’s pay when so working. Casual workers in oil stores were to be paid 2e 6Jd per hour, with £5 for permanents. Casual® engaged and not put on to receive a minimum of one hour’s pay. An additional five shillings to the ordinary rates was asked for leaders of gangs. The conditions of work provided for double time rates for work done in the regular meal hour and after 12 noon on Saturdays, and an employer could give a week’s pay in lieu of notice. Overtime at rates and a half was asked for work performed between 6 and 10 p.m., with double time thereafter till 8 a.m., a minimum of two hours to be paid for. The following holidays were asked for: —Christmas Day, Boxing Day. New Year’s Day, Anniversary Day (or People’s Show Day), Good Friday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day, Labor Day, Union Picnic Day, and the birthday of the reigning Sovereign. All work done on Sundays or New Year's Day was to be paid for at double ordinary rates, and, for work done on any other the specified holidays or any other day observed in lieu thereof, double overtime rates. In addition, seven dpys' holiday on full pay after 12 months’ service was asked for, with pay in proportion, according to length of service, after six months if the employees engagement was terminated for causes other than wilful misconduct. After three months’ service casual workers were to be paid for all holidays. Other clauses provided for under-Ate workers, notice of overtime, disputes, and shift workers. The terms of the award were to apply to all workers employed in handling wool, hides, skins, tallow, hemp, seeds, chaff, grain salt, manure, or oil in the stores of the employers cited and was to be for a period of one year. COUNTER PROPOSALS. The employers’ counter proposals agreed to the hours of work and provided for shifts. The rates of pay were to be Is Wd per hour for casuals and £3 2s fid per week for permanents, with an extra penny halfpenny per hour for workers mixing manures. The rates of pay were to be subject to revision from time to time in accordance with any order by the Arbitration Court in pursuance of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Act of 192122. Overtime was to be paid at time and a quarter for the first three hours, and thereafter at time and a half, with ordinary overtime rates for work performed during meal hours.. Work performed on the following holidays was to be paid for at time and a half, viz., New Year’s Day. Easter Monday. Labor Day, and Boxing Day, with double time for work on Sunday, Christmas Day and Good Friday. The proposals also contained provisions for under rate workers, disputes, and preference to unionists, and a youth’s clause under which youths under 17 years of age were to be paid £1 per week; 17 to 18, £1 ss; 18 to 19, £1 10s; 19 to 20, £2; and 20 to 21, £2 10s. The award was not to apply to foremen or men employed at a dumping engine. COUNCIL’S DECISION. The proceedings were taken in committee, and, at the conclusion, the Commissioner made a statement to the Press that the representations of the council would be that a number of the persons cited as parties to the award be : struck out for ’the reason that they were not engaged in that particular industry or that they were under another award. It was decided that the matter be referred to the Arbitration Court for judgment, as it was stated at a conference in Wellington that this particular trouble could best be dealt with as a. Dominion award. The dispute would therefore be referred to the Arbitration Court at the earliest possible moment.

To-day the council will sit at 10 o’clock to hear the dispute which has been filed in connection with the Bakers’ and Pastrycooks’ Union. The Dairy Workers’ and the Waterside Workers’ dispute are being heard by the Arbitration Court at its sitting at Wanganui.