ARBITRATION COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 255, 25 October 1907, Page 5

ARBITRATION COURT.

(Before Mr. Justice Sim and Messrs. R. Slator and S. Brown.) The sitting of the Arbitration Court was continued yesterday afternoon. ENGINEER'S DISPUTE. The hearing of evidence in connection with the engineers' dispute was concluded. Alexander Warnock, secretary of Messrs. Massey Bros., Ltd., said that his firm employed 12 men wno would be affected by the award. Their present wages were: One at £1 a day, 2 at 13/; 2 at 10/6; and the remainder at 10/. If the men's demands wtre given effect to, it would have a tendency to fix the maximum wage at 11/, and the abler men receiving higher pay would have to suffer a reduction in their wages. Evidence in support of the employer's contention was also given by one other witness. Mr 1 C. Grosvenor applied for exemption from the award on behalf of the Auckland Electric Tramway Co., the Devonport Steam Ferry Co., and the Colonial Sugar Refining Co. Tbe decision of the Court was reserved. TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS. lEONSIOULDERS. Mr. C. Grosvenor appeared for the employees, and Mr. H. Banfield for the workers. It was announced that the masters and men had met in conference, and had arrived at a mutually satisfactory agreement. The main item agreed upon is an increase in the minimum wage from 1/I.J to 1/3 an hour. Mr. Banfield asked for the clause in the agreement which provides for the employment book being kept by the Inspector of Factories to be deleted, and asked that it should be kept at the office of the Union. Mr. Grosvenor objected to this, but was agreeable to a duplicate book being kept at the Union's office. This was agreed to. CUKEIERS , DISPUTE. The main points at issue in the Auckland Curriers' Union's dispute are wages, machinery work and hours of labour. The demands of the union stipulate for a 47 hour week, overtime to be paid for at time and a-quarter for the first two hours worked, and time and a-half for subsequent hours. The wages asked for are £3 a week, and it is stipulated that all machines, except drums, shall be worked by curriers; apprentices to be taught the use of such machines. Other demands of tho union are: Only two classes of workers to be recognised — journeymen curriers and apprentices; all dressed leather other than chrome to be curriers' work; each employer to be allowed one unskilled worker to every eight or fraction of eight curriers employed; the number of apprentices not to exceed one to three journeymen; all apprentices to be legally indentured for five years. The usual preference and underrate clauses are also asked to be included in an award. The employers counter proposals provide for a 48 hour week; the employers to have the right to utilise what labour they consider most suitable for machinery. Regarding wages —the most contentions measure —the employers proposal is to pay a minimum wage of 1/1 per hour to all competent curriers. In addition, they propose that i dissected log should be framed for each currier's shop, to be mutually agreed upon between employers and employees; a record to be kept of each man's work, and all money earned in excess of 1/1 per hour up to 1/2 per hour to be paid a3 a bonus. If any man for some reason failed to earn his 1/1 per hour, such shortage to be deducted from any bonus such man might earn later on. Each man to be held responsible for turning out his work in the most efficient manner, and to the approval of the employer or his representative.

Mr A. Creamer, with Mr R. F. Way, appeared for the union, and the employers were represented by Messrs C. Grosvener, R, D. Warnock, and J. Astley.

In opening the case for the union, Mr Creamer said the union objected to the machines being worked by other than curriers, as it meant that, unskilled labour wus being introduced. They wanted to abolish the log; it was unfair to the consumer and to the men for curriers to rush through as much as they could possibly get through. The work turned out wouid not be as good, and was derogatory to the trade. They asked for a reduction in the hours of work, on the grounds that the work was hard, irksome, and required skilled labour. The rednced hours asked for wore the same as worked in other skilled trades. The men had received no increase in pay for eight years, and since then tho cost of living had increased; there had been a tendency to increase the -output per man, and the selling price of tho goods had also considerably increased. They were therefore entitled to a higher rate of pay.

Evidence in support of the union's contention was given by three witnesses, after which the further hearing of the case was adjourned until this afternoon to enable the parties to confer as to the definition of a currier.