INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 243, 13 October 1910, Page 6

INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES.

CASS OF SSXLK JtETAILEBS,

AGREEMENT CLAUSE ENDORSED.

Tke agreement recently arrived at before the Conciliation Council by the assessors appointed tu_ represent the respective pa.rties in-connection with the milk retailers' dispute was placed before the Arbitration Court this morning. Mr. C. Grosvenor appeared fur the employers, and Mr. A. Kosser for the Union of SVorkers.

. Mr. Justice Sim drew attention to •the clause by which an employer is protiixitwd from entering upon the two rounds -on which he has been previously •engaged, after leaving the service of an employer, for a period of twelve months, either on liio- own behalf or on behalf ■of another employer, for the purpose of selling or delivering milk.

ilr. stated that the clause had leen agreed to by both parties, but he "rcent oil to point out thii it was a modification of a very drastic agreement that hod been in existence in the trade for many years pa.-st. 'When the case was ieiore the Conciliation Council, 4he men ■objected on principle to the continuance of such a-n agreement, but the employers consented to a modification, and in order to effect a settlement -the men •were compelled to agree to the suggested modification. Mr. Rosser mentioned that the Conciliation Council had developed 1 into a system, of barter or Dutch auction; the men stated their price, and came down to a minimum by barter. This had to be done in order to arrive at a mutual settlement without having ■to Taise points before the Court. Some.times they "were Tilso confronted with custom, and .that -was the. case in this iGspute, and to effect a settlement the clause in question was approved.

jVIx. Justice Sim: You say an agree Tnent -was in existence for years?

Mx_Jia£S£r: Yes; retailere have had to j Sign an agreement for many years, j One man was imprisoned for &■ month j oibt it. He committed a breach, an in- j junction, of the Court to restrain him . was obtained, and disobeying the order ihe served a (term of imprisonment. ilr. Grosvenor: He was imprisoned for contempt of Court. 11l reply to the Court, Mr. Kosser ; fiaid it was desired that the award should cone mto immediate operation. Mr. Grosvenor pointed out that certain firms had contracts for milt undef present conditions, and the award should 3Hrt take effect till January Ist; otherTvrise the firms concerned would be seriously affected. Air. Rosser said there was no mention ■at the time of the settlement of the j dispute of delaying its coming into operation: in fact, it was understood it jvould take effect immediately. !Mr. Grosvenor stated that one firm iiad contracts for milk supplies involving £22,000.. which would expire at the beginning of the year. He also mentioned that if the clause referring to th« agreement was not allowed by the Court, the employers desired: to have the whole case re-opened. l£r. Justice Sim stated that it was not intended to disallow the clause in question, and intimated that an award -B-ould l>e duly made. FILED. '£:£%■& s&en' : :fiTeiE in most .of the cases so far dealt witil toy the Court. Illiere were no point-3in dispute in connection, vrith the Auckland Boilermakers' ■Unien. and the Auckland .-Builders, Contractors, and General Labourers', and awards in terms of the agreements arrived at have been made. The contentious clause in the case of ihe Auckland Farmers' Freezing Comipanv against the Auckland slaughtermen iwaa one: relating Xo. tte. Sinplojment o£ competent ' slaughtermen.'" ■ Tae Union asked that a standard of S sheep a. day eiionld constitute a competent man, and 210 -others lw employed; A>ut the company desired an open hand to employ -whomthey chose, and especially to eo-ver certain men wlio gave a hand at the time of the strike last year. The following clause •has been, iranied to meet the position:— **2sone but coinpe'tent men shall be emrployed a≤ slaughtermen,- provided-that this clause shall not operate to prevent the company from employing any worker Tvlio was employed by the company as s. slaughterman during the season 1909----•1910, although such worker may not toe ia competent slaughterman."' The award is for three years. The Bricklayers' Union wanted an increase- oi wages from 1/6 to 1/S an hour, .basing- the claim on broken time and the great activity in .building, as well as on ihe fact that since the last increase- <was given eleven years ago, house rents 'had advanced, lie Court holds in making the award that the case for an increase $vas not made out. An increase in wasres -from 1/6 to 1/S an hour was also claimed by the Stonemasons, 'but the Court says it was not BartJsSed th-at there was any valid reason for an increase. The men urged that ihe increase was "warranted 'by reason of the 'harder work involved in working the Coromandel granite, now largely used, and the heavier cost in the upkeep of tools. The only question for the Court's consideration in the Saddlers' dispute was the position of the female stitcher. In ±he award the Court has adhered to the .old award, but -has provided that the wages for these workers after the fifth year shall he 30/- per -week, the-same as io. Canterbury and Otago. AC the B.M. Court to-day, before Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M.. the "inspector of awards (Mr. E. T. Bailey) proceeded against R. F. Webster for a breach of the saddlers'" award, in that he had failed to pay an apprentice the award rate of j jrcages. Defendant contended that he'had been paying the lad under an indenture iill this was altered by a subsequent award. In consideration of the fact that the lad has been paid up three or four months* hack pa)', only a nominal penalty Ci £2) with 9/ costs, was imposed. NOBTEESH WAIKOA. At the monthly meeting of the Kaipara Chamber of Commerce several letters were received from other local bodies expressing Approval ox' the Chamber's proposal to estat>!isii a Ka-ipara court at the next Auckland Show. A meeting of delegates will shortly be convened, with a view to furusering- the projectThe amount of settlement going on at Tuitamoe has induced the Po3tiaasi.er-General :to ODcn a money order office and savings! it..mk i-bere. Tie Serxlers' Associatinn has beon informed that a postmistress I.Mrs M. •A. .ELcathi has been appointed. a .««-si.iu <)f '-he Naive Laud Court be.Tan ax t≤o Coiirrhoiisp DargavUle, on Tuesday morning, -ludie McCoraick presiding. A lar-e number "oi natives were present, over , 100 = Haoris in Court when the pro-, eeedincs"opened. There are some 200 cases, easettid, and the proceedhigs meylby two, or -three weeks. Dunns .the day his Honor made 37 succession orders, and two eraer| jsgpaiaiins itrastees- / _^