BOILERMAKERS' DISPUTE.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 37, 12 February 1920, Page 5

BOILERMAKERS' DISPUTE.

ANOTHER COMBINED AWARD SUGGGESTED. IRON" TRAT>ES ORGANISATION". The application of the Auckland 'Boilermaikers' linion 'for a new award | this morning came before a Council of| Conciliation, over which the sioner for the Northern District (Mr. T. Harle Giles) presided. After formal opening, it wu decided to adjourn until to-morrow, in order to obtain information from otlwr centres ac to their acquiescence or otherwise in a proposal to frame a combined award for the iron trades or -separate awards on the one 'Dominion conference.

The claims were similar in. character t,o those of the engineers, which were tin- subject of a Council the other d»y. and which were adjourned pending: a conference for v Dominion award. The union sougiit a minimum wage of 3/ |ipr hour ifor journeymen, against the presont rate of 1 '"i plus 'ii bonus, ami various modifications of conditions. The employers counter-claimed the old award, which expired on December IT. At the outset, the Commissioner remarked that lie had never had to deal with a trade that e«emed to lend itself; s>o readily to a combined award for tiie whole of h< sections a> the iron trade, including the engineer*, Boilermakers,, and the iron and moulders. The; old awards had all expired, ami community of interest wae suggested by the similarity of the various sets of claim?, and the fact that the same assessors for the employers were'sitting in each ease. There seemed to be no difficulty in the way of a general conference with the object of getting one set of conditions and possibly the same \vag«|p to cover the wiiole of the sections.

■Mr. !S. ¥.. Wright, agent if or th* em-] plover*, produced telegrams indicating that the idea of a combined conference was approved by a meeting of the ironmasters in Wellington, and, on the suggestion of tho Commissioner, the union's representatives (who incidentally pointed out that w-hen they mooted the idea of a Dominion award some months ago. and went to the expense of citng parties. the employers were hostile) undertook to wire -to"the other centres to ascertain their view of the subject.

The Council then adjourned until to-morrow.

The aaseeeore sitting for the employers are Messr*. H. M. Warner. Geo. FTaeer, and H. Beaney, with Mr. S. E. "Wright as advocate, while the union's repreeen-| tatives are Messrs. \V. Cliffe. T. Tonge.i and A. H. Philip, with Mr. R. F. Barter as advocate.