CONCILIATION BOARD.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 48, 26 February 1901, Page 2

CONCILIATION BOARD.

THE PAINTING TRADE

A sitting of the Conciliation Board took place to-day at the Supreme Court Buildings, when there were present, the Chairman, Rev. A. H. Collins, Messrs E. W. Alison, John Fawctis, and W. H. Lucas. The latter apologised for the absence of Mr Bagnall. The Chairman said they had adjourned the dispute in the painters' trade in order to allow time to join others in the citation. The names of those cited were called over, but the only responses were from Mr Alex. Alison, for Devon port Ferry Company, Mr Oliver Mays, for Grammar School Board, Mr J. L. Holland and Mr Connop. Th. Chairman said, in the absence of others, the case must proceed.

Mr Tyson, on behalf of the Union, said although the masters had virtually agreed to the terms, certain conditions were entered by some employers. The employees were not asking for a new statement, in any shape or form, but for certain amendments. They also asked that in- cases of incompetent men only those over fifty rears of age should be empowered to work for lid per hour. Then there was a request for a preferential clause for Unionists, as there was nothing in the rules of the Painters' Union to prevent any competent workman from joining such Union. Mr Tyson said in the present statement only two j reasonable amendments were asked for, and concessions had been given to the masters. In other parts of the colony wages for painters were higher than in' Auckland. Mr Tyson pointed out that the cost of living was likely to go up owing to the new municipal laws, which gave extended powers to the Council that would tend to raise rents in the future. He wished it to be clearly understood that the painters were not asking for a rise of wages. Mr 0. Mays said the Grammar School Board did not employ a painter, but had two men who were realjy handy men. although primarily on. was a. pa.inter and the other a car-jiente-r. Those men were engaged at a fixed wage throughout the year, wet or dry. He submitted that tinder these circumstances the citation should be annulled as far as the Grammar School Board was concerned. Mr J. L. Holland, representing the Masters' Guild, said he knew the men were employed on all sorts of work by the Grammar School Board. Mr Connop said he did not see much utility for painters in the Society —men who demanded full wages from employers, and a week or two afterwards would work for 5/ a day by taking jobs at low rates on their own account. Mr Tyson said as the masters were willing to allow the Grammar School j Board to withdraw from the citation, the Painters' Union would a-gree also. I As Mr Alex. Alison and Mr Connop i raised no objection, the Grammar School Board was allowed to retire from the case, _»fr Mays agreeing: that if a painter had to be engaged full time, he would be paid in accordance with the finding of the Board. Mr Alex. Alison said he appeared for the Devonport Ferry Company, and failed to see why they should have been cited at all. They employed a number of hands in the yard to do all manner of work. The company did not compete in any way with the master painters' business; the hands employed to paint the i steamers were the hands used in the I company's other work; that the j painting was rough and did not rei quire skilled hands; that most of the men were not skilled tradesmen; and that the company had not hitherto been and should not now be made a party to the dispute, and he therefore asked that the citation to his company should he struck out.

. Mr Holland said he saw no reason why the Devonport Ferry Co. should not be treated in much the same way as the Grammar School Board.

Mr Alison, said when skilled work was to be done they employed proper tradesmen.

Mr Connop said many skilled hands would not wish to spend time painting ships' bottoms.

Mr Tyson said the Union did not wish to interfere with men employed to paint boats' bottoms. He was quite willing to accept the same terms in respect to the Ferry Company as in the case of the Grammar School Board.

Tin: Board agreed to relieve Mr Alison from further attendance on ihe understanding arrived at.

Mr J. L. Hol!-_td then addressed the Hoard ou behalf of the Masters' Guild. He said the masters had met the men very fairly before, and now they were again called before the Hoard, with a most objectionable clause added re apprentices, which if agreed to would simply mean that no apprentices would be taken in the future in the painting trade. He might say that although trade had been good since, the last award, he had actually paid £300 less^ wages, which meant that as a result of the award, trade was being forced out pf the hands of legitimate masters into those of outsiders. People now picked up any handy man to do their painting and bought materials, and tlie Board could not Cite the whole population. He might also say the Guild had resolved not to accept tlie addition to the apprentice clause. If the Union could not trust the Guild to take an apprentice and hind him fairly then it was better to leave the matter to the Board. The Guild accepted the statement. just as it was with the exception of the addition to the apprentice clause.

Mr Tyson said the Masters' Guild had taken the wrong view of the addition suggested to the apprentice clause. What the Union aimed at was the benefit of apprentices, so that if a youth after serving four years wished to go to another master to learn a particular branch of the trade then the Union was willing that he should go for another 12 months at less than the standard rate.

Mr Holland said' what the. masters wanted was some finality in the matter, and they did not wish to be continually dictated to as to how the business was to be managed.

Mr Tyson said Mr Holland seemed to object to the masters being compelled to notify the Union when an apprenticeship started and when it finished. To meet Mr Holland, he would suggest that the apprentice be called upon to notify the Union, instead of the master.

Mr Beer said as far as the Guild was concerned the members had always treated the Union well.

Mr Holland said all the members of the Painters' Guild asked was thatall should be placed upon the same footing and start fair.

The agreement was then accepted, that the apprentice should notify the Union, instead of masters being compelled to do so. The chairman said that now both sides were agreed as to the various points, all that was left in this case was for the Board to prepare a recommendation. Mr Holland said the Guild did not like that preference clause at all, but agreed to it for the sake of conciliation. It would be an endless source of trouble in small jobs. Mr Connop said the greatest difficulty would be with people who tool{ contracts one month, and worked aa employees the next. Mr Tyson said one of the rules of the Painters' Union was that no member should tender for work. The preference clause for Unionists should therefore benefit the masters. Mr Lucas said the more the strength of the Union was increased, the better for master painters. The chairman notified that tha Board would go into committee, and hoped to give its finding to-morrow morning at 10 o'clock. The Board also trusted to be in a position to give its finding in the carpenters' dispute on Thursday afternoon at twq o'clock. , (Proceeding.)