ARBITRATION COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 73, 26 March 1906, Page 5

ARBITRATION COURT.

HEffiDERS? LABOURERS' DISPUTE.

The Arbitration Court (Mr Justice Chapman and Messrs Slater and Brown) resumed its sitting at the Supreme Court this morning, when the conditions of labour for builders' and contractors' labourers were considered by the Court. Mr A. Eosser (with Messrs H. Banfield and J. F. Derrick) appeared for the men's union, and Messrs J. J. Holland, S. I. Clarke and T. Craig represented the Auckland Builders , Association. No fewer than 299 parties were cited by the employees. Tho labourers asked for a 47-hour week, with extra payment for overtime. Wages to be as follows:—Labourers employed as bricklayers' labourers, masons' labourers, plasterers' labourers, or on concrete work, pick and shovel work, or sihovel or spade wwk in connection with the building operations shall be paid not less than 1/1 per hour. Hod or brick carriers 1/3. Labourers engaged in the constructing of scaffolds are to be paid for the time while' they are employed on such work not less than 1/2 per hour. Labourers employed on unskilled work not coming within tbe above clauses in connection with building ■operations or road works shall be paid not less than 1/ per hour. Labourers employed on any public drainage or sewage work any public drainage of ten mil&3 from Chief Po3t Office, Auckland, constructed under contract hereafter to be Jet by any public or local authority shall be paid a minimum wage of 1/1 per hour. Licensed drainage men 1/2 per hour. Employers were required to provide all tools except hods and short-handled shovels.

The Court promised to consider an application by Mr C. Grosvenor, on behalf of the Auckland Electric Tramways Co., to exclude that company from the operation of the award. Mr Grosvenar stated that the company had secured an exemption in the case of carpenters on account of emergency work due to sudden breakdowns. Mr Rosser opposed the application, stating that labourers' work was continuous, and was not required in sudden emergencies.

Before calling evidence, Mr A. Rosser said the men were asking for an all-round increase, and the inclusion of other Jabourers than builders' labourers in the award. It was sought to include road-workers. William Lyons, president of the Labourers' Union, stated that he was paid 1/ per hour for labouring. For 18 months he had averaged 20 "to 30 hours per week, time being lost through shortage of bricks and wet weather. He had worked for a fortnight on tramway construction, but when he found he was getting 2/ less per day for the same work as he did elsewhere, he left. FELLMONGERS' • AWARD. The terms agreed upon in the fellmongers, tanners, soapworkers, and general tannery workers' dispute were submitted to the Court by Mr Grosvenor (employers' representative) und Mr R, F. Way, and embodied in an award. The week comprises 48 hours, with time and a quarter for the first two hours, lime and half afterwards, double time on Sundays, Christmas Day, and Good Friday. Wages were fixed for pullers, pelt classers, steam wooldryere, trimmers, woolscourers, at 8/ per day; woolsorters, 10/; painters, cure dollymen, lime dollymen, seudders,woolwashers, lleshers. steam wooldryers, dollymen, skinwashers, woolpressers, 8/; machine fteshers and scudders, 7/6; night watchmen, 7/6; general labourers. Pullers are to be limited to 200 skins per day, the skins to be stacked. The minimum wage for casual hands in the fellmongering department to be 101 d per hour, but if the work is continuous in any of the sections of labour in the fellmongering category, the minimum shall be not less than the rate of wage in the section in which the worker is engaged. Tanners, B/; Jime drawers, 7/; roller man, 8/; assistant. 7/; ba-sil-workers, 7/0; chrome finishers, S/4; marhine shaver, 7/6; unskilled labour in the tan yard, boiling down hands, chrome room, or any other department, 7/; head of boil room, 8/; panman, 8/; soapworkers, 7/3. Starch workers, 7/3; candle workers, 7/3; headmen, 8/; Stillmen, 8/; general oilworkers, 7/3. Employment of youths: Youths may be employed at the following rates: From the age of 15 to l(i, at the rate of 12/0 per week; 16 to 17, at the rate of 15/ per week; 17 to IS, at the rate of 17/0 per week; 18 to 19, at the rate of sd. per hour; 19 to 20. at the rate of 6Ad per hour; 20 to 21. at the rate of 7A per hour. All gear to be found by employer, and a week's notice to be given. The usual under-rate and preference clauses were included, and the award is to continue for two year.s