CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13410, 30 April 1909, Page 3

CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

GENERAL LABOURERS' DISPUTE

Tho hearing of the general labourers' dispute was continued before tbo Conciliation Council yesterday morning. Mr J. R. Triggs, Conciliation CominisI sionor, presided. Mr Robinson, a master brickmaker, I said that Hμ hrickmakcrs would not object to being included in the award i lif an award were made, provided tlie i men affected were those engaged, on new building work. I Mr Horsley said that in the case of repair work the brickmakors would be put to serious inconvenience. The chairman said that the interests of tho brickmakers would be looked after by the Council, and a. ciauso-to cover the point would be inserted in the award. Tho Council then proceeded to consider the question of wages. Mr Patterson said he would agree to a clause that the tunnel men should be paid 10s per shift of eight hours. Tho clause would not affect Canterbury to any extent, for very little tunnel work wa« done in tho district. Mr Graham said that the Builders' Association objected to tho clan so relating to wages, for tho matter was already covered by another award. In reply to a question the chairman sain that, if the dispute had to be referred to tho -Arbitration Court the Council would not sit at Tiniaru. Regarding the hours of work, Mr Pryor said he would lie satisfied with a clause similar to ttiat in tho Wellington award. Mr Andrew.-, said that tho quarry owners would hay* , to bo, allowed an exception, for it was necessary that work should start early in tho morning. The quarry-owners were willing to pay whatever wages wen; allowed for a forty-eis?ht hours' week, provided tho hours could be adjusted to suit tho necessities of the business. At present tho quarries started at 7.30 a.m.. and in tho event of wet weather during tho week it would be necessary to work on a Saturday afternoon if it were fine. Mr Broadhead said that the shinglepits were in the samo position as the quarries. Mr Patterson said that according to the Wellington award each employer was allowed to fix the hours to suit his own particular convenience, the hours, however, not to exceed eight and a half on ordinary days and five and a half on Saturdays. Mr Andrews claimed that Saturdays should not bo restricted in that way. Mr Patterson replied that the clauso would work very well. Mr Pryor suggested that a separate clause should bo drafted to suit the quarry and the shinglo people. After further discussion the chairman said that it had boon agreed that for general labourers the hours of wo+-k should be 48 hours per week, each employer, to have the right to h'x the hours to suit his own particular business, such hours not to exceed eight and a half on five days in tho week and five and a half on Saturday, with half an hour for preparation work to bo paid for at the ordinary rate. The quarry-owners and shingle-pit peoplo could l>o allowed on Saturday afternoons to make-up a week's work in the event of wet weather during tho week. Mr R. C. Bishop, on behalf of the Gas Company, asked that his men should bo allowed to work when re quired, so that fhey might be able to make up a full week's work. Regarding the rate of pay for tunnel work. Mr Uraham said tliero was up much ehanco of a tunnol being put tl-rough tho hill as suggested, as'there was of tho construction of the canal from Sunnier t.-> Hen theote. Tho Union proposed to deal with something concerning which they knew nothing. Mr Patterson eaid the matter had I>ofcn dealt with in J the awards made in other places, and there v/a8 no reason why tho clause should not be adopted here If no tunnel work were done, tho insertion of tho clause would not matter, and if such \fork were to b? carried ont, then contractors would know what wages they had to pay. Tho Chairman considered that tho clause should be inserted, and it was suggested that the wages for tunnel ands should bo Is 3d per hour, and lor other underground hands Is lid per hour. Mr Patterson objected to the latter proposal, for ho considered that the inexperienced men who had to do the herd, rough v/ork should bo paid a '.ittlo more than they were. Mr Graham said that the experienced men were paid more nt tho request of the anions themselves, who argued hat experienced men should be paid more on account of their experience. Mr Patterson Kakl that now ho waa going, to do his best to secure bettor wages for hod-carriers and other hands vlio did tho heavy, rough work. Tho matter of tho wages of the tunnel hands -v hs left to tho Council to settle. Regarding tho wages for quarry hands. Mr Andrews claimed that tha rate should be Is per hour, which was the current, i:ow. Mr Patterson objected to tho proposed rate. Mr Andrews, in reply, said that good men were always paid good wages, irrespective of award rates. Mβ would agree, howwrer, to the Wellington award, winch provided- fsr Is Id for some niPii, and Ik for others. In reply to a question, Mr Andrews said that existing contratts with the City Council would run till the end of the year.. Mr Pryor said that the whole matter of wages depended on whut ivas going to he paid to the unskilled labourer. If that could bo agreed upon then the wages of other lwn could probably bo settled; ,f not, it would be useless going on with tho matter. Mr Patterson said he co-ild agree to rotW less than Is l]<] por hour. With present conditions. 7s an hour was noc a sufficient wag* to allow the worKer to l:\-e in a decent wanner 'J ho propose* lncreaso would not prejudice either the employer or the public. At the present time many men were earnin R well under £2 a week. He could briny evidence to prove tho necessity of making the increase to Is I'd. Ho had no desire to have the matter sent on in the Arbitration Court, for ho would Jar sooner have it settled by conciliaMr Pryor said that the cmplovers oil wantod to sec the matter in «' s « oo( i .-. posit ion as possible, but in the prosen-, case they would have to take fact< :is they found them. The minimum wage :n Christchurch at present was Is an hour which was fixed by a"ieentent in IDOG. At that time the coiuitrv was in a. state of prosperity, and it was for the Union to prove now that tho condition:; had so altered as to wairanl tho proposed increase. In 1907 thr. Arbitration Pnurt at Nelson made tho minimum Wld nei- hour, and in die same, year the" Court fixed IOJd f< . unskilled workers in the Wellington avard. Last year in tho Wellington City general labourer's dispute the Cciu-t hold that higher wages could be paid there than in any other centre vet 8s was allowed for "a day of eight h. ura. Employers an a matter of fact were not able to pay as much now as they were in IDO7. then how much less could they pay what was asked. The employers could not consider any inciease above Is an hour. Th© matter Inn been moat carefully'considered, and employers were firm that the rate cfuld not I>e increased beyond Is. Mr A. D. Dobson (City engineer) said that if the proposed increase were grcnted it would mean cither increasjn i the rates £3000 annually and keepin,; the present Council staff, or throwing that amount of labour on the market. On behalf of the Council be must firmly oppose any suggested increase Mr Patterson said lie was satisfied that tho majority of the general

labourers employed by the City Council r were paid out of loan money, and not [ out ot rates. He would ask Mr Dobson whether the general labourers employed on the ordinary work or the Council would cause tho mcrcaso ot £3000. „, Mr Dobson replied that was so. Jno wages sheet at present showed an annual espendituro of £25,000 for general labourers, and an eighth increase would give the amount ho had quoted. Mr Graham eaid the builders could not agree to the proposed increase. The building trade had never been so dull for a long timo as it was now, and contracts had never been lot m> cheaply. In tact, some contracts returned no profit at all. Mr J. Otley, on behalf of the. plasterers, objected to any increase. What happened in view of tho high rates for wages was that the master plasterers could not take tho jobs at the prices available, and tho men themselves combined to do the work at cut prices, and made about 5s or 6s a day out of it. Most of the small cottage work now was done by the men themselves at cheap prices. It was arranged that tho parties should confer on the matter privately. Mr Dobson made au application that in the new award the Council should be allowed to distribute tho hours to suit the work. Tin* matter had been pro- ( vided for in the old award. The Chairman fcaid that that point would be attended to. Mr Dobson then asked that a general arrangement. should be sanctioned whereby tlu> Council could employ men on relief works at lower rates. Mr Patterson objected to the ex- ; omption of the Council'from the award i so far as tho hours and wages ol tho ■ sanitary hands were concerned. ! The Council then adjourned for the ■ purpose of allowing a private con- j terenco between the parties to be held on the matters in dispute. The conference was held during the afternoon, when most of tho points in dispute were satisfactorily settled, others being left to the Commission and assessors to deal with. At the cldse of the sitting a voiv hearty vote of thanks was accorded Mr iriggs, the Conciliation Commissioner, ior the manner in which lie had condueled tho negotiations, his tact and good sense leading to a settlement of what promised to bo an irreconcilable position. A similar compliment was paid tin; assessors who acted with Mr Triggs. and Mr Patterson, the representative) of the workers, was also thanked for his efforts in tho direction of conciliation, and for what ho hud done on behalf of the men. Tho award of tho Council will be made on Saturday.