LITTLE AGREEMENT

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20907, 12 September 1939, Page 2

LITTLE AGREEMENT

PLASTERERS’ DISPUTE CONCILIATION PROCEED IN GS (By TelegTapn.—pr>ss Association) WELLINGTON, Monda y Discussion of the application of the New Zealand Plasterers’ Industrial Association of Workers fur a new Dominion award was resumed in Conciliation Council in Wellington to-day, hut little progress was made, the main clauses being referred to the Court of Arbitration. No agreement could be come to on the question of wages. The union asked for a minimum of 3s 3d an hour for journeymen plasterers, and the employers offered 2s 101 an hour. The wages, overtime, holiday, country work and suburban work clauses were referred to the Court. The Conciliation Commissioner, Mr M. J. Reardon, at the close of the proceedings at 5.20 p.m., said It had been a disappointing day. He had expected better progress would have been made. When the term of the award was being considered, Mr E. C. Weavers, agent for the union, suggested that it. should be for 18 months. This was opposed by Mr J. Purtell (Auckland), workers’ representative, who said he had waited for the plasterers’ award in Auckland for 11 months, and (during that time the workers had each lost 11s a week. The Commissioner: That was your own fault. With short-term awards you absolutely swamped the Court of Arbitration. The last book of awards occupies three volumes and the claim has been made that more work has been done in the last three years than during the whole application of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. It was agreed that the term of the award should be 12 months.