ENGINEERS' GRIEVANCES

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 51, 29 February 1916, Page 6

ENGINEERS' GRIEVANCES

AMENDMENT OF AWARD. RECONSIDERATION WANTED. There is a good deal of dissatisfaction among members of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers throughout the Dominion in consequence of the amendment by the Arbitration Court of the award granted to them in July last. In the award, as originally framed, there was a clause providing that an amendment might be applied for prior to its expiry, if in the opinion of the men a rise of wages should become necessary as a result of war conditions. In January the employers took advantage of this clause to ask the Court for extensive amendments to the award, but these were refused by the Court, except in one instance —the apprentice clause. This the Court saw fit to alter, so as to allow two apprentices to each, journeyman emDloyed, notwithstanding strong opposition from the workers. The Society of Engineers now contends that as the award was made after three months' deliberation the Court had no right to alter it in the manner described, and that if the alteration is upheld, the whole award should be reopened for consideration, especially in regard to wages. It is held that while employers are advertising for men at £4 to £4 10/ a week the award maximum of 1/4J an hour, or £3 4/8 a week, is decidedly low under present conditions, and some revision is necessary. Another matter of dissatisfaction is the introduction of "stock catalogue work." The men state that this is a class of work that caunot be strictly and satisfactorily defined by either employers or workers, and that the attempted observance of rules regarding it will only lead to trouble. The pointa at issue will be discussed at an extraordinary general meeting of members of the society's Auckland branch to-morrow evening, when an address will be given by Mr. S. J. Elston, organiser for the society. Similar meetInge are to be held- throughout the Dominion during the next few weeks.