TRADE AND LABOUR NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 210, 4 September 1919, Page 11

TRADE AND LABOUR NOTES.

!By IXDCSTKIAL TRAMP.)

USIOS MEETINGS FOR THE WEEK. This Evening. September 4—Farriers. Eleerrieians. Ferry Employees, Liftmen, and Cleaners. Senteml>er o—bakers. Monday September S — Gumworkers,

Painters, Drivers. Tuesday, September H—Carpenters, Saddlers

Plumbers, Store-ten. * September 10—Gas Employee:.. Thursday " ■September 11—Moulders.

CABFE2ETERS' CLAIMS.

The first of a series of applications on behalf of the various branches of the A-nralg-aniated Society of Carpenters and .!«iners in the Dominion, lias 'been filed by the Xapier branch, and these, by reason of the claims marking a new departure in working - -conditions for skilled trades are attracting more than, usual interest amongst the employers of the district. The ne-iv claims seek an alteration from an hourly to a weekly wage, with a ■grofision for casual labour of less than one week at a s&ghtly higher rate. The present award rate is 1/10 per hour, although there are frequently to be seen in the daily papers, advertisements for carpenters or joiners at 2/ and even 2/3 per hour, as good men are scarce. At the 1/10 rate for 44 hours, the week's wage amounts to £4 0/8 per "Wteek, and it is sought in *he new claims for a 40----ihour week to be paid £4 15/. Casual rates are provided lor at 2/6 par hour. Id is in the demand for a five-day however, that the application makes an important departure from esistrng conditions. It is requested that the working week shall be one of live days of eight hours per day, instead of the present week of 5§ days at eight hours.

Another important clause in the Napier demands is that in addition to the usual preference to unionists clause, the application maintains the principle of every iron-unionist carpenter and joiner employed on a job to become a member of the union within seven days, end if he fails to become a member within t-liat- time, 'ho should be deemed to have committed a breach of the award.

The Arbitration Court has always declared iteelf in strong opposition to a compulsory unionism clause, as being ultra vires to the Act, and the result of the application wSH be watched with considerable interest.

The provisions contained in the Napier application are pursuant to a Dominion conference, and other branches will follow with similar applications. This includes the Auckland branch, but the latter will .probably take the form of a united application on behalf of the building trades, a federation of which has been formed in Auckland. In this case it is not likely that the compulsory unionism clause will be included.

It may he interesting to note that the 40-h-our week is already being worked in Auckland by an employer who maintains that it pays ihim to do so. It is contended that fares to and from the job are just as costly for half a day on Saturday as on full day, and there has been no complaint of a reduction of the weekly output on the five-day week. Years ago we 'had to fight strenuously year after year for the reduction from "a 4S to a 44-hour week, and it seemed like Paradise when v.c 2 ot it. hut when the five-day week arrives it will be hard to realise that the Millennium, lias not arrived. THE LABOUR CAMPAIGN,

The election committees in the various electorates in and around Auckland! in ™*p, i* tas t* e n decided to run an cllicial labour candidate, are now in full '' swing-, and •several of the candidates have opened 'their campaign on the platform, wuh encouraging receptions. I n Grey Lynn, the ground has heen cleared considerably hy the announcement made or Sir. John Payne, M.P., fchat he does not intend to stand for re-election. Mr Payne gives as his reason that he will" not oppose an official Labour candidate. AS OTHERS SEE T7S. slr. Havelock Wilson, general president of the (National Seamen's Union tras interviewed for the Sydney "Sun" on July 17 on the subject of the request from the Australian Seamen's Union for an Empire-wide strike.

He said: ' : As the whole facts have not been furnished to mc, it would be nnfair for mc to discuss the merits of the Australian strike.

"As lar as concerns Mr. Walsh's appeal for an Empire-wide strike if the leaders were prosecuted, I shall do notlfing of the kind. When a man is accused of freaking the latv he must submit to a trial. I speak as a man who underwent wnat I felt an unjust trial by an unfair jury, and I got sis weeks." I took my gruel, and did not appeal for an Empire-wide or any other sort of strike, and I expect them to do the same. Such appeals seemingly indicate that they are at the end of their tether."'

irr. HaTelock Wilson added that he nad known Senator Guthrie and other former leaders of the seamen for thirty yean?. They were the most levelheaded lot in the trades -union movement, but unfortunately they had heen deposed ibeeause they were" patriotic. Unknown new leaders mad taken their places.

"TSers is too much talk off g-eneral strikes," declared iMr. Wilson. "People have the idea that'a general strike can he called any minute without consulting tlie workers. Some men on this side of the water are in the enroe way getting loose notions, and are advocating that tiie executives should foe empowered to call strikes without ballots. Yet the same a.ffitators persdetentlj- request the extension of the Parliamentary; franchise. That is not democracy." a bishop's opmoxr. Bishop Julius thoroughly agrees with Kiplings pronouncement that "The Colonel's lady ajid Bridget O'Grady are sisters under their skins." Speaking at Everybody's Theatre (says a Christchurch paper), he remarked that the deference between capitalist and labour louder was, like beauty, only skin dec-.p. "Let the capitalist only lose his capital am] he becomes a labour leader," he said, "and -.vhen the labour leader manages to ai-i-.:uiulate a good round sum, he will beet.me a capitalist, and from what I hare st:en. he wiil be as hard on labour as the worst."