ARBITRATION COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 285, 1 December 1902, Page 5

ARBITRATION COURT.

THE ENGINE-DKIVEKS' DISPUTE.

Mr A. Bossfer detailect the forfflation of th« union ami the übseqaent negotlntiona mud« by the-.union to bring about a settlement between the employees and employers. On Decem* ber 7 of Jast year it was decided to take the matteij-o Court. The tmioii had spared no efforts to bringr about a con/ex'ence betwetn masters and jnen, and it \vas no discredit to the union 4liat no, conference 'had been hekl. The union clepreeated going to the Court- except as a last resort. Mr. Uosser then dealt with the scheduled demands of. the union. He said that the union wished as near as possible to have an eight hours' day. The system of changing shifts each week when rnoro. than one was etnploywi (hs was. tsteefl for in the demands), was laforce in many well-i-egulated places,, aad worked well. Overtime, demands such as contained in clause 7, had been granted in most .eases by Arbitration Courts and Conciliation Boards. The usual number of holidays were asked for by' the union. They asked for the urmsal'clause giving pvef.orenoe to unionists. In the case of this particular union, membership existed from Ivaipara to Eotorua and tbe Bay. 6f Plenty. The union was a provincial though they started in a small way their membership \vnsno\vil2 or 115. ; Mr. H. Evans' (president of the union) •ihen addressed the Court on behalf of the union, , dealing with the various/clauses in the He specially dwelt on the hardships of the drive , .s of'-locomotives and traction ehgiiieJS engaged in the timber trade. With regai'd to the Ferry Co. he sa,id he Mled to see why men should work from, 70 to SO hours per week. With regard to the t ,steatoship company cited he was glad to say that they were paying , in some cases more than the union were asking for. In many instances, hhe union tVere asking- for an' award beloAv the existing rate of w&ffes. .'. .« At ihis stage Mr. McGregor again applied for exemption on behalf of the "McGregor Steamship Compan} , . He said the company were paying their engineers more than the union were asking , , ■while, with regard ■to overtime, they were working under a clause in the seamen's award.

His Honor suggfsted that Mr. Rosser confer with Mr. McGregor during the adjournment, wdth x'ftgard to the matter. His Honor said that it would be manifestly unfair to cite the McGregor Steamship Company, and not the Coastal Steamship Company, seeing that both companies were engageti in. the same trade. Hugh J. Sullivan w*ts the first witness called by trie union. He said he was a certificated engine-driver, employed as a fireman under the Auckland City Council. For some time he had been in charge of an engine ait the fire station, Wellington, and for a few days he was engaged as an en-gine-driver a.\ the Colonial Ammunition Company's Works. He considered tbe demands m&de by the union*, and considered them fair and reasonable. The rate of pay for such work as he ■Was doing , in Wellington was £115 per annum, but he was not receiving this sum, because he was on probation. s ' ■'."*

In reply to Mr. Alison witness said lie was 22 years of age, and was receiving £lO4!pe'c,.annum', and quarters and slothes, iis v fireman under the City Council. The hours he was employed were not at all excessive, it was largely a question of being in attendance for alarms.

John Henry Stubbs, engine-driver, said he held two certificates, and had been engaged for 24 years as an en-gine-driver. Vor the last nine and a half years he had been employed by the Colonial Sugar Kenning Company as the driver o*f a steam, launch. He worked on an average 56 hours per week, and received £2 10/ per week. The work Was of a responsible nature, and the wages asked for, £3> were not at all 'excessive.

Questioned by Mr Templar witness said that his work, which now oecu* pied 56 hours a week, could not be done in 47 hours.

Walter Lewis, engine driver, Said he held two first-class certificates, one stationary and the other .for locomotive traotion. . He was at present by the Auckland City Council in charge of a steam roller. Hfe had been driving for i twenty-five years, and had had experience on the Midland railway, England, where he had worked up from cleaning , to driving. He considered it required more skill to manage a road roller than a stationary engine. He agreed with the demands of the Union. He was receiving 8/ a day. George Gibson, the holder of a sec-ond-class certificate, said he had been engine driving for ten years. Hβ had been employed at. the Colonial Ammunition Company's works, and he worked from half-past five in the morning until five in the afternoon. Twenty minutes were allowed 'for 'breakfast, and on Saturday he stopped work at noon. He had for the ten years received 35/ per week, which he considered very low for the hours, worked. He considered £3 for first-olaes certificated men and £3 10/ for second-class men were fair and reasonable wages. He considered 47 hours a week in the factory would not be practicable "with one man. The factory time was 47 hours per week'; the test of his time was taken up with getting up steam and lighting the , fires. To get up ste&m alone in the morning •would tage up an hour and a qu&rter.

The Arbitration Court for the colony of New Zealand opened its sittings *in Auckland in the Judge's Chambers at the Supreme Court tHis morning. His Honor Mr. Justice Cooper (president) ■ and Messrs. Brown and Slater (assessors) cojoposed the Court. The first dispute taken was that between the Auckland Certificated Engine-drivers' Union and some 90 employers of engine-drivers throughout the province. Mr. H: Evans (president of the union) and Mr. A. Kosssr represented the union. Mr. JL- s**sj) Templer appeared for Messrs. Wilson and liorton, Union Oil, Soap and Candle Company, and Kempthorne and Prosser, who were cited. Messrs. Ambury and English and Warnock Bros., Auckland Sawmillers' Asociation, and Bradney and Binns were also represented. The Auckland Sawmillers , Association were cited, but it was pointed out that the drivers in the mills were already working under an awards and the association was struck out of the list. The same course was adopted with the Colonial Sugar Refining Companj', a dispute in connectionwith which is to come on shortly. When the name of the Devonport Steam Ferry Company was called, Mr. E. W. Alison, M.H.E., who appeared on behalf of the company, said he respectfully submitted to the Court that the Devonport Steam Ferry Company should be exempted from being a party to this dispute on the grounds —(1) That the service was one of an entirely different character to any other' at Auckland, (2) that no complaint had been made by the men regarding the conditions under wMch they were working, (3) that the ferry service was run by ■ crews who work the one set of hours for engineers and another for the master and hands and firemen, (4) regarding the tow boat'the hours could not be fixed, as the time for doing towages could not be regulated. . ' Mr. M. G. McGregor, on behalf of \ the McGregor Steamship Company, objected to the company "being cited, as they employed marine engineers. The opposition company had not ■been cited. Mr. A. Sanford applied] for exemption, stating that the trawling business was exempt from rules and restrictions as to engineers. ■ If the trawling business was to wofk under' an award he thought it should* be worked under a separate award. Tn response to these applications His Honor said the court would not decide at onciT whether or not these employing firms should be exempted. Ihe question of exemption would be considered when evidence had been heard. If Mr Sanford was not ofblig-■r-a to cany a certificated engineer he would, of course, be exempted. Mr Ambury, on behalf of his firm, applied for exemption owing to the exceptional nature of the dairying business. Mr Bradney (of Messrs Bradmey and Bians) asked for exemption on behalf of their firm's vessel, as" the •vessel, was employed under Goyerjament contract. . . ; /•':■ His Honot said the same course would be adopted with these, cases as with the otker applications for ex-' emptioh.. ■ The main points in the schedule filed by the union are as follow:— Hours: 47 hours shall constitute a week's work, as far as practicable, made up as follows: 8 i hours on 5 &..ys of the week and 4£ hours on. Saturday; but daily division of hours may be mutually arranged in eaclh establishment. Stationary Engines: : The minimum, rate of wages to be paid per week shall be as foikywS: To holders of Ist class certificates, £3; second class certificates, £ 2 10/. Locomotive and Traction Engine Dr'vers: Minimum weekly wage, £3 6/. Where trips cannot be arranged to-Suit the 8 J hours day, 47 hours shall count as the week's work, and all over that shall be charged as overtime. River Certificates: Holders of river-certificates shall be paid a Minimum wage of £ 3 per week; except when .plying outside ■harbour limits, when the rate shall be £3 per week and'found. Where the 8£ hour day ; is 1 likely to disarrange the running of a vessel, then 47 hours shall constitute «,he week's work, time to count ;.. while the engine driver is required to be on duty, whether running the engines or alongside the wharf; all over 47 hours in any week to becounted as overtime. Overtime: AH time worked, beyond the time mentioned in the previous clause shall be paid for at the rate of .time and atjuarter for the first two hours, and thereafter time, and a-ihalf. Double time on Sundays. Holidays: The following holidays shall be given with* out stoppage of pay (or if required to work shall be paid for at the rate oi ! time and a-half): viz., New Year's Day, January 2nd, Anniversary Day, Easter, Mc&iday, King's Birthday and Boxing Day. Christmas Day and Good Friday shall also be given without stoppage of pay, but if required/: to work on those days double time shall be paid. Preference: Employers shall employ members of the union in preference to non-memibers, provided there are members of the, union qualified to perform the work, and ready and willing- to undertake it. " '' :" : "''' ',' '' .» ■■ ■