TRADE & LABOUR NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 17, 20 January 1909, Page 8

TRADE & LABOUR NOTES.

(Secretaries of the various Unions are requested to forward copies of their Union —- engagements to "Industrial Tramp," "Star" Office, and a list of Union Meetings will be famished at the head of this column for each week.) •UNION MEETINGS FOR THE WEEK. Thursday, January 21 — Lithographers; Tramways (Quarterly); Shipwrights. Friday, Jan. 22 — Boilermakers. Monday, Jan. 25 — Coachworkeis; Hairdressers; Plasterers; Butchers (special). Tuesday, Jan. 26 — Plumbers: Moulders; Westfield Chemical Workers (Special). _!7T Wednesday, Jan. 27 — Trades and Labour Council; Waterside Workers. _\

Immigrants from the Old Country still continue to arrive. -..' .Unions dissatisfied, with appointment of chairman of Conciliation Council. Tne annual meeting of the Auckland Letterpress Machinists' Union was held on Friday evening last. The report of the year's work goes to show that the union had passed through a busy and expensive year. In October a dispute had been taken before the Arbitration Court, hut no material benefit had resulted to the workers. Since then the ■union had joined the Machinists' Federation, and was looking forward to a federated award when the present award runs out in November next. Notwithstanding the heavy expenses entailed by Court and federation outlays, the union finishes the year with a credit balance. The election of officers resulted:—President, l>lr. R. Hastings; vice-president, Mr. E. McLeod; secretary, Mr. A. Rosser; treasurer, Mr. F. H. Jackson; auditors, Messrs. G. Watson and J. Hamilton; ! trustees, Messrs. H. Kxebs and G. "Webb; committee, Messrs. L.' Alcersten, E. Winthrop, JL Petersen, E. Sindlen, and F. I W. Ash. , The annual meeting of the Auckland Trades and Labour Council was held last | Wednesday evening, and was remarkable lor the competition displayed tor the respective offices. This is a good sign | of life and vitality, as nothing is more depressing than member after member declining to be nominated for an office in his organisation without a reasonable excuse. The Council finishes the year with a small credit balance, and -with the new blood now on the executive there are prospects of a very useful year before it. The President for 1909 is Mr. Thomas Long. He is full of high ideals as to how the Council work should •be prosecuted, and it 'is to be hoped ■that he will receive a good support from the delegates. -There are now ten paid secretaries in the Auckland district, the latest addition •to the men who devote rthear whole time to the work of their unions being Mr. Thomas Long,- who taken over the • administration of the -.affairs of the • youngest, ithough not .' of our unions—the Hotel^andßJestaurant Employees' Union. Mr. Long is an engine driver by trade,' and is .the present ." president of the Auckland. ; Engine Drivers!3tJnio]ai~"'" ".".'"", The Labour Department is just now Issuing notices to all parties- to awards, notifying them that copies <>i -the awards must be displayed in > : £heir factories or shops, for the information of all concerned. This is in compliance with Clause 63 of the new Act,-which says: "In the case of any factory or shop to "Which any award or industrial {agreement relates, a printed or., typewritten copy of the award or industrial agreement shall at all times be kept affixed in some conspicuous place at or near the entrance to the factory or iiop, in such a position as to be easily read by the ' persons employed therein. For any . breach of the provisions of this section the occupier of the said fact- try or shop shall be liable to a fine noi exceeding -- five • pounds on. summary conviction on - - ±Ke- information of! an .Tr specter of _ Awards." Tne stereotyped excuse of 'heing' ignorant of the provisions of an award will not be available in the future, as along with the notice is sent a printed copy-' of- -the award in question. It is expectecLby- the Department*" that there will be'a marked diminution of prosecutions , for '"enforcements as a result of this clause. Apropos of breaches and enforcements, ' it is worthy of a reminder thai? there is no need to wait for -the advent of the Court of Arbitration to punish offences of this description, but that the penalty for such offences "shall be recoverable by action in a Magistrate's Court, and I not otherwise." (3) "Every such action may be brought at the suit of an Inspector of Awards, or at the suit of any! party to. the award. or agreement." . It. is incomprehensible to mc, the lengths that some employers will go to avoid paying a just wage to their em- - - ' ployees. A esase has just been brought •under my notice in which a girl was taken on as a beginner at one of our large establishments, at five shillings _yer weeki. She was engaged on the Monday morning, started at once, and, ■ after working-till Friday afternoon, and being complimented on her diligence, was told that she need not come again until after Christmas and New Year. For that week she was paid the sum of three shillings and ninepence—a clay and a-half short, -and being her first week she had been required to make an. outlay for two whit© aprons and a pair of scissors. The real reason of her suspension was, that during the next fortnight, the Christmas and New Year holidays occurrejd, and her payment for such would he dodged. A complaint to the Inspector of Factories has been the means of rectifying the matter, and the missing one shilling and threepence has been paid to th» girL The general public are not aw-e of one half the "good work that is done by our Labour Department in rectifying errors and abuses. Neither is it generally understood" that a weekly servant must be paid the full week's wages, especially when the said servant is ready and will-, ing to work. There was another good meeting of the unions on Saturday evening last to _„protest against the appointment of Mr. '_ .'.Harle Giles as Chairman of the Concilia\T tion Council. Our exquisitely- 'framed s** Jibel laws do not permit-me to give an W« account of'what was-said at the meet-"■".'-"ing.; the language was strenuous, and ." the attitude of the "unions unmistakable. $5 The daily Press were represented, but j;; the matter was too hot for them to - touch, and I leave it- at that. - - - The proposal to hold a meeting of officers—two from each union—on Thursday week, January 28th, to diseii=3 the advjsnhleness of instituting. a Labour •Executive Council, or Advisory Board on industrial matters, has been . very favourably received by the unions, £ and already many have appointed dele- ■■___ gates to at-tand the inaugural meetn"- -■•-- If it is decided to commence operation"!, -y there will be plenty of business to bring T ".'beforo tho new Adylserv Board, until tho si^king^j ( tha nevrjict isjfaiiiliar-to the ;*-nrncm officials. •££ X" ,-Mr H. Bamfield, Secretary to the"Anialk go-mated (Society of Carpenters, writes •_ W-»:d»wyoni:atfen'leMii(>«Re fact i that a* tho present time we na*» «

union carpenters and joiners signing the vacant book, and I have reason to believe that there are the same number of nonunion men idle. Hoping you will make this public in the interest of the trade and for those who are contemplating a visit to 'God's own country.' In fact, the trade is in a deplorable conelition just now."

The Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners (Auckland Branch) has adopted a resolution unanimously entering its emphatic protest against the appointment of Mr Harle Giles as conciliation commissioner under the new Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act.