AWARD IN THE PLUMBERS' DISPUTE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 207, 12 September 1901, Page 5

AWARD IN THE PLUMBERS' DISPUTE.

Yesterday afternoon the Board of Conciliation met at the Supreme Court and delivered their recommendations in the industrial dispute in the plumbers' trade. The following are the new clauses of the Board's recommendations, in addition to those clauses already published, which were mutually agreed on by both parties to the dispute: —

"(1) That the. hours of labour shall be optional, not to exceed 47 hours per week ordinary time, but that in no time shall any workman be entitled to overtime rates until his working hours for the week shall have exceeded 47.

(2) That the rate of payment to competent workmen shall be 1/2 per hour. Workmen who are not fully qualified to earn that wage shall be paid such wage as shall be mutually fixed between the employer and tbe president of the Union; .should they be unable to agree, then by the chairman of the Board of Conciliation.

(11) That on all country jobs necessitating employees living away from home, all fares thereto and therefrom shall be paid by ihe employers, and time of travelling to and from such jobs, and an additional pay of 3d per hour, these terms to include all apprentices. (14) That so soon as the rules of the Union permit any person of good character and sober habits, and a competent tradesman, to become a member on payment of an entrance fee not exceeding 5/, upon his written application, without ballot or other election, and so to continue upon contributing subscriptions not exceeding 6d per week, the smployers shall employ members of the Union in preference to non-members, . provided that there are members of the Union available without undue delay, equally qualified to perform the particular work required; but this clause shall not interfere with engagements subsisting between employers and nonunionists at the time of the making of these recommendations.

(15) . That these recommendations shall come into force on the first day of November, 1901, and shall remain in force until October 31, 1904, excepting in the case of employers who shall be exempted for a period of ■three months, in respect of workmen employed on contracts entered into prior to the Ist day of August, 1901." Mr Wright, on behalf of the Workers' Union, thanked the Board for the consideration they had shown.

•' Mr R. Tudehope, for the. employers, returned thanks to the Board for the consideration they had given the case. It seemed to him, however, that the Union's statement had been practically agreed to by the Board. He hoped the Masters' Association would accept the recommendations in some form, but 'he hardly thought they would. He thought the Board had hardly grasped the conditions under which the masters laboured at present. The fixing of the minimum wage at 1/2 increased the difficulties of the employers, who were placed in competition with men whom . the award did not touch at all. It all went in the direction of wiping out the legitimate employer altogether, and favouring the side of the man who did not employ anyone. The higher they raised the minimum wage the more men went into the market. The men outside were bound by no conditions, and against them the legitimate employers had. no show whatever. He did not1 see how the employers could accept the award without a further struggle, and he really did not see how he could recommend the Employers' Association to accept the recommendations. Mr Alison said the Board had yery carefully considered all the points which Mr Tudehope and the other employers had raised; they had given every phase of the dispute close attention.

Mr Fawcus said the Board had given a less sum as minimum wage than the ruling in Wellington and Christchurch under the award there.

Mr Tudehope said the employers were quite willing to pay good wages, but the mistake was in fixing the minimum wage so high. This only drove men out of the trade into the ranks, of the independent tradesmen, and as they employed no one they were bound by no conditions, and so could compete most unfairly with the legitimate employers.

■Mr Bagnall said the Board considered that a skilled workman who learned a trade, and served six years at it, was fully entitled to tJhe minimum wage fixed. The hours of lafeour fixed also seemed to the Boaad a reasonable arrangement.

With reference to the clause dealing with incompetent men, Mr Wright (representing the Union) gave an assurance that the Union and the president would always do what was fair and just as between them and the employers

Mr Fowler also spoke objecting to the 1/2 minimum wage and otheT features of the recommendations, and the proceedings then closed.