TRADE AND LABOUR NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 99, 28 April 1922, Page 10

TRADE AND LABOUR NOTES.

(By INDUSTRIAL TBiMPJ TTSTOCS , (MEETINGS FOX THE TTEBK. This Bvenins, April 2S—Bricklayers. Saturday, April 20 —'Freezing Works Employee's. Monday. 'May 1— Shipwrights, Butchers' Espcutlve. Drivers, Tailors. Tuesday. May 2—Tramway Officers' Special. Wednesday, May 3—General Labourers. Thursday. May 4—Electrical "Workers, takers. Bootmakers. THE ARBITRATION COURT. The Court, which this week Is Imsy hearing the why and the wherefor of the reduction of wages at Wellington, will open in Auckland on Thursday morning next, to deal with Auckland business. There is a fairly long list of disputes to be dealt with, some of them reaching the Court in a wholly unsettled condition, and these will take some time to consider, especially if evidence is called on both sides. Included iv these are the seamen and the miners. By the time the Court reaches Auckland it is presumed that its decision on the wages reduction question, after hearing argument on both sides in Wellington, will be announced, and several unions are getting prepared to ask for an exemption from the general reduction expected. THE KEW WHITEWORKERS' AWARD. This award, which includes workers on shirts, silk blouses and underclothing generally, was arrived at in Conciliation Council on Saturday last, and in these days of falling prices it is worthy of more than passing mention, as the union lia3 been fortunate in securing for some grades an increase on the figures in the last award. The fact also, that the industry covers such a number of female workers iv many small establishments, makes the need for publicity all the greater. The wages agreed on for female apprentices and improvers are the following, and the previous rate is given in brackets: For the first six months, 10/0 (10/) ; second six months, 12/6 (12/6) : third six months, 15/ (15/) ; fourth six months, 17/6 (17/0): fifth six months, 20/ (20/);. sixth six months, 22/(5 (22/6) ; seventh six months. 25/ (25/): eighth six months, 30/ (27/6). The wage for journeywomen has been increased from 35/ to 40/ per week. In addition to the foregoing rates a bonus has been agreed on of 6/ per week to apprentices and improvers and to journeywomen a bonus of 5/ per week. Another clause provides that "No worker over the age of 21 years shall be paid less than 27/6 per week, with a bonus added of 1/0." This wage of 20/ per week is 4/ higher than the wage for this class of worker in the Dominion award for clothing fades. For workers required to work overtime the tea money has been increased from 1/3 to J/6. It must also be noted that these figures arc liable to be reduced by the pronouncement of the Court after the hearing of argument at Wellington this week. A new wording of one of the old clauses now provides that no worker shall work a special machine, such as a. buttouholing or other machine, until she has learned a branch of the trade on ordinary sewing machines. The award is to operate for a period of two years from the pronouncement of the impending reduction of wages by the Court, A "BEER STRIKE." ' It appears from a statement made by vMr. Beard, of the 'Workers' Union, that the vast majority of the men involved in the recent wage- dispute in the British, brewery trade had absolutely no part or connection with the beer strike proclaimed by ilr. Williams, of the Transport Workers' Federation. Hr. Beard says that the proposed reduction of wages was discussed with the employers tby the officials of all the trade unions affected, including representatives of the Transport Workers, of whom comparatively few were concerned in the dispute. The outcome of the discussion was a unanimous agreement that the terms ultimately offered should be Tecommended I>y the trade union officials to their constituents' acceptance. The reduction proposed under this agreement was submitted to a vote of memIbers of the Workers' Union, who, at their branch meetings, signified general willingness to accept their leaders' recommendations. The action of the Transport Workers' official, in spite of their agreement with tne settlement recommended therefore amazed the officials of the Workers' Union, and Mr. Beard described it as a ibreach of faith, grossly inconsistent with trade union solidarity and loyalty. GUILD PROGRESS. The Clothing Guilds in London, Glasgow and elsewhere are on the point of comiiig together into a National Guild. A stage has been reached at which coordination can be made the basis for development on national lines, and for the extension of the movement to the centres which it has not yet reached. The London bookbinders, with the full backing of their union, have formed a Guild Committee, and are proposing "both to start work in the London area, and to link up with the bookbinding guilds already formed in several provincial centres. The musical instrument makers have now their guild committee in being, and hope shortly to constitute a guild and get to work in London. ■ The development of the furniture guild is an interesting object lesson in guild possibilities. Like the building giiild, it. started in Manchester without capital and it had not the exceptional chance which the Government housing scheme presented to the ibuilding trade operatives of making a beginning on a large scale. With £250 collected from actual furniture workers in Manchester, a beginning was made. An army hut was fitted up at a cost of £ 130, and the guild made a start with repair work. But, although the furniture trade was supposed to be in a state of abnormal depression, it was at once overwhelmed with orders, both for repairs and for new work. Its army hut at once became inadequate, and large premises, the old "headquarters of the machine workers, were hired from, the Amalgamated Engineering Union. In these the guild is now doing its best to keep pace with the rush of orders. The executive of the Furniture Trades Association lias .recommended that £1000 be advanced to the guild out of union funds, but much more is wanted if work is not to be refused, and if the guild' is to be pro--perly developed in London and other centres where a start has been made as well as in Manchester. •