SADDLERS' DISPUTE SETTLED

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 166, 15 July 1910, Page 2

SADDLERS' DISPUTE SETTLED

A THKEE DAYS' COXFE&EXCE. "The dispute between the Auckland Saddlers. Harnesa-makere, Coliar- , makers', and. iividig-niakers' Industrial ' Union of Workers and their employers was brought to a successful issue, after a three days' conference, late yesterday afternoon. The various clauses of the 1 demands of the workers were contested with stubborn determination, but friend- ' lineas pjeFftiled. on both sides. The con- . J -elusions arrived at are being awaited with interest amongst ike trade in otb.er parts j of the, fJominjon, and in that respect j fbi-m a very important decision. The j Conciliation Commissioner (Mr T. Harle Giles) presided; Messrs. J. W. Wiseman, i L .TTiTT, W. Hawkins, and J. Robertson 1 ; appeared as assessor? for the employers, and Messrs li. McNab, A Tilly, S. T. Clarke, and.T. Parkes for the workers-, : Messrs. F. C. Knight (secretary) and ') Jeffries represented" the masters' association, and Messrs J. Mcintosh (secretary) and W. C&isgn (present), the Union. The conditions agreed upon include, :.: .some jbjapprtaat- alterations on the old award. The minimum wage of journeymen has been increased from Is an hour I to Is Id, equivalent to 4s a week. The nndeivrste workers' cia.u3e has been slightly modified to suit all concerned. The apprentices' wages have be«a increased :2s (id throughout each year, irora $s to 7s Jpd for the first year, and so on to the fifth year from 25s to 27s 64. The clause relating to proportion of apprentices has undergone a considerable change in the direction of allowing) an increased number of apprentices. The i conditions governing the employment of ! female stitchers are the same as in the i old award, with the exception that) another year has been added for pro-) ficiency, the wages for the first four years being as before, from 7s 6d for the first to 25s for the fourth, and 30s for the fifth year. Clauses in respect to preference to unionists and holidays have not been altered, and the award is Jo stand for two years. s?ew clauses added provide for the payment of female slitcheTs at ljd per hour; ! collar-making may be done by piece work when a log has been agreed upon between the Union and the employers; all I work" shall be performed in the factory workshop, and no employer shall do work of any description in the trade for the purpose of trade after working hours, provided such workman be fully employed, except wjien permits to -work at home are granted to workers who are physically unfit to attend at their employers' place of business. The Court of Arbitration will he asked to decide whether female stitchers in the bag-making branch are to be allowed to .paste, the strawboard for portmanteaux and gladstone bags, and to do other work in. this department. The decisions arrived at were ratified subsequently by. the Con.cilia.tion Council, and embodied in recommendations which •will go forward to the Court of Arbitration for conversion into an award. The claim of J. J. Craig, Xtd.. for exemption was disallowed. At the conclusion of the sitting, Mr l. Hill moved, and Mr ,7. Mcintosh seconded, a hearty vote of thanks to the' Commissioner for the patience, tact, and courtesy shown by liim in controlling the proceedings. Both sides were uiTanhnously of opinion that the amicable settlement arrived at was in no s-maU measure due te--"Sfr Giles' able conduct of the dispute. Mr F. C- Knight "warmly supported the jnotipn, which, on bein* put by Mr Wiseman, was carried with acclamation. Mr Giles, in returning thanks, it gave him much pleasure to know that he retained the confidence of the employer and the employed.