"NIGGARDLY."

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 192, 16 August 1938, Page 9

"NIGGARDLY."

WAGE DESCRIPTION.

PIANO TRADE REPAIRERS. ARBITRATION COURT CLAIM. "Niggardly" and "down to coolies' . wages'' were the descriptions given to I existing rates of wages by the secretary of the union. Mr. A. H. Dixon, in presenting to the First Arbitration Court to-day the application for a new award of the piano tuners and repairers' section of the Auckland United Furniture and Related Trades' Union. Mr. Justice O'Regan presided, and with him were Messrs. A. L. Monteith and W. Cecil Prime. Mr. W. E. Anderson conducted the case for the employers. Award Unsatisfactory. The award, said Mr. Dixon, was most I unsatisfactory from the workers' point ■ of view, and the first opportunity was J taken to create a fresh dispute so that I the condition of workers in the industrv might be brought up to the level of other skilled workers in various trades. Wages claimed by the workers were £B 10/ per week for those responsible for carrying out the work, and £6 for piano tuners and repairens or repairers only. The counter-claims of the employers were £5 for piano tuners and repairers, and £4 12/6 for tuners or repairers. The workers also asked that each employer should provide a vacuum cleaner to extract dust and other matter from musical instruments. The old method of using bellows blew dust into the air and it was inhaled by workers. No Support for Variation. Mr. Anderson eaid that the workers had presented no evidence to show that any variation from the existing award was warranted. The Court, he said, had stated that it considered itself bound by past decisions, and that if a party wanted an award changed that party had to show that a variation was necessary. The Court, he said, had found that the work was isemi skilled. The employers were prepared to offer an increase in wages of 5/, making them £5 for a repairer and £4 12/6 for a tuner or repairer. The Court announced that an award would be issued as soon as possible.