BRICKLAYERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 May 1938, Page 10

BRICKLAYERS

PROVISIONS OF NEW AWARD. MINIMUM WAGE FIXED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, May 16. An industrial award covering bricklayers in the Northern, Wellington, Canterbury and Otago and Southland industrial districts has been filed by the Court of Arbitration. “The matters referred to the court related to the definition of bricklayer's work in respect to cutting openings, suburban work and country work,” said Mr Justice O’Regan in a memorandum to the award. “These the court has settled. Mr Prime does not agree with the decision in respect to country work for the reasons set out in his dissenting memorandum to the northern industrial districts plasterers’ (fibrous) award. He wishes to point out also that the court has deleted the three months’ limit, which was an essential part of the majority decision in that case, thus making the clause still more onerous.” The award will continue in force until May 17, 1939, and the minimum wage for bricklayers was fixed at 2s IOJd an hour. All repairs to bakers’ ovens, retorts and furnaces, etc., where the heat exceeds HOdeg. Fahr., during ordinary working hours must be paid for at double time rates. Classes of work which must be paid for at time and a half rates include those where workers are engaged in pits, sumps and wells, on work 10 feet or more underground, all hot or dirty work, work on chimney stacks and towers to which a building is attached, and where work must be performed 40 feet above the point where the roof meets the chimney, and work on steeples 25 feet above the building. Work done in two inches or more of water and where water other than rain be dripping on the worker must be paid for at the rate of time and a half or gumboots and oilskins provided. Any worker employed on a swing-stage or boatswain’s chair must be paid 2s a day extra while so employed unless the patent safety scaffold type is used or a scaffold approved by the inspector of scaffolding. Wages must be paid weekly in cash.

The award provides also for an eight-hour day, to be worked between 7.30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on five days of the week, Monday to Friday inclusive. One hour must be allowed for lunch each day but the employer may agree with his workers to allow not less than half an hour for lunch. Work done outside or in excess of the hours fixed must count asovertime and be paid for at the rate of time and a-half for the first four hours, after which double rates will apply. Any time worked before the usual time of starting or after the usual time of ceasing work on the five days in the week, and on Saturdays before 12 noon, must be considered overtime. Work done after 12 noon on Saturdays must be paid for at double time rates. Time worked in excess of five hours, without an interval of an hour for a meal, must also be paid for at overtime rates. Clauses in the award make provision also for country and suburban work. Country work has been defined as work done in a locality where the worker is required to sleep elsewhere than his genuine place of residence. Provisions relating to country work must apply whether or not the worker is engaged at the place where the work is to be done, or elsewhere, and irrespective of the employers’ usual place of business. Time occupied in travelling must be paid for at ordinary rates but no journeyman may be paid more than an ordinary day’s pay for any day occupied in travelling. Journeymen on country work must be paid an additional sum of 5s 2d a day for six days in the week but the employer may provide suitable board and lodging.