ARBITRATION COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 17, 21 January 1902, Page 3

ARBITRATION COURT.

SUGAR-WORKERS' DISPUTE,

The Birkenhead Sugar-workers' Union have filed a dispute. Their scnedule of proposed hours,' wages, etc., are as follow:— Hours: The recognised hours of work (unless otherwise stated) shall be from 7.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on every week-day except Saturday, one hour a day to be allowed for dinner, and on Saturday from 7.30 to noon. Men living in town and requiring 10 catch the boat shall be permittea to work up time in the dinner nour. Wages: The mini mum rate of pay per week shall be as follows:—Boiler firemen. £i per'week of 4S hours; cnar end firemen, £2 14/; trirpniers, £2 8/; liquor runners, £2 14/; char emptiers, £2 14/; pansmen, £3. Centrifugal men: Driers, £2 li/; spreaders, £2 _/; scoopers, £2 ■$/; ceilarmen, £2 8/. Packing and delivering store: General labourers, £2 8/; scalemen, £2 14/; tallymen, £2 11/. Raw store: Workers in raw store, £2 ./; jigger drivers, £2. Fitters, blow-ups, and melters, £2 S/; general yard hands, £2 ./; greasers, £2 11/; night watchmen. £2 9/ (week to consist of seven shifts of eight hours per shift). Tinsmiths, £2 8/ for week of 44 hours: makers of round tins and seaming, £2 2/; boys, £1 5/; pressmen, £2 2/. ■ Syrup house: Labellers, fillers, and box makers, £1 13/. Repairing bag shed workers, £2 8/. Bag-making department: Bag printing, £2 8/; bag cutting, £1 16/; bag machining, £1 W; bag turning, 15/. Wash-house: Workers in wash-house, £2 2/. Boy Labour: (a) No boy under tne age of 18 years shall be employed in the washhouse, (b) Boy labour in the packing and delivery store shall be limited to not more than four boys^_and they shall receive a minimum wage of 15/, with an annual increase of 3/ per week, (c) Boys attending sugar boilers and tanks shall receive not less than £1 10/ per week. Overtime: Overtime shall be work ot necessity or emergency, and in no case the ordinary work of the factory. The payment for overtime shall be at the rate of time and a quarter for the first two hours, and time and a half after. Sunday double time. This clause shall .not be applicable when three shifts are

worked. .. Holidays: The following holidays shall be observed: —New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Sovereign's Birthday, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. If required to work on these days double time shall be paid. Contracting: Contracting and sub-let-ting shall be abolished in all departments. Incompetence: Where by reason of old asre a worker is unable to earn the minimum wage, he may be paid such less sum as may be agreed upon in writing from time to time between such worker, the manager, and the president or secretary of the union. Preference: The company shall employ members of the union in preference to non-members, provided there are members of the union qualified to perform the particular work, and ready and willing to do it; but this shall not compel the company to refuse employment to any person now in the employ of the company. On account of the absence of Mr R. G. Thomas, Clerk of Awards, the date of the hearing of the dispute has not been fixed, but it will probably be referred direct to the Arbitration Court.