ARBITRATION COURT AWARD.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 11278, 20 May 1902, Page 6

ARBITRATION COURT AWARD.

THE BRICK-JIAKING TRADE.

(PRESS ASSOCIATION- TZLZGRAM.) WKLLI3JGTON. May 19. To-day the Arbitration Court announced its award in tha recently-heard dispute filed by tho Wellington Brick and Tile Workers' L'nion. The President (Mr Justice Cooper) said that the greater number of men employed in the brick and tile trade were of the class of general labourers.' The Court hail in. other dispute*' considered that a fair' payment for labour of this class in Wellington wm at tho rate of la an hour, and it fixed that rate in this trade for all men ov*r the age of 22 yean who -were not (•(impeteftt burners, setter* and finishers, in brick-moiling, or competent burners, set* terr, finishers, Hangers, and drawers, in drain pipe and, salt glaze work. The Court thought tint burner*, setters, and finishers in brick-making were engaged in work wl>!ch was of a slightly higher character than that performed by other classes 'of workers in brick-making, and were therelore entitled to be paid a little higher wage, the difference being but slight. The paymjht was fixed at ls o£d per hour, and ls Id waa Used far burners, setters, finishers, flanger*. and drawers in drain pipe works, '/hia latter rate was proposed by the employers; and the Court thought it fair. Di»we;s in brick-making were, in the Couits* opinion, general labourers on.v. The Court et-v'A not agree with the iJnion, demand of'ls 4d an hour for casuaJ labour. As it understood tbe Union's contention, every man who, because of bad weatlw* or some other . exceptional reason, was Unable to waclnarjfolT week of 46$ hours, was to be clw*efi*tetf a casual labourer, and to be paid ■ :high«r rate ot wage. This contention would practically mean tbat in mnnv brickyards ordinarily regular hands would, for the-great'part of tbeir time, fall trader the oiaia of casual labour, and be entitled to reeeW« ii. higher mc of pay. To give effect to that contention would be to introduce a practice'whioh the Court had not yet applied to any other class of labour. A casual labourer waa one who was not in the ordinarily repokir employment of an employer, hot who -was taken on casualty for a f»w boors. The labour Union's demand far this class of labour was unreasonable, and the Court fixed tlie rate at la Id per hem. ■ As to employment of youths in proportion to men, the masters in the trade had aaked for two youths to one man, and ♦he Court thought that a fair proportion. ¥or this class of labour, the Court had fixed a sliding scale according to age, and ending at tiie age of 22 yean, when a worker might be reasonably considered capable of earning the full minimum. The condition* regulating tbe pottery branch of the trade hsd been agreed to by both parties during tbe.bearing of the dispute, and had therefore been incorporated in the award. The Coort concluded:—"We.allow preference according to the uroal' terms, restricting it, however, to workers over the age of 18 fSSTS."