CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14308, 20 March 1912, Page 10

CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

FURNITURE TRADE DISPUTE: ;f

The Conciliation Council met in tho Provincial Council Chambers yestor- ' „"', day, to hear tho industrial disputo be- '*? twoen the Christchurch United Furni- '$ ture Trades' Union of Workers and tho ;f Christchurch Furniture Trade Employers. Mr J. R. Triggs, Conciliation -■ Commissioner, presided. Mr J. A. Black appeared on behalf of tho em* plovers and Mr D. G. Sullivan on bo-~ '• half of the workers. The assessors for the employers were Messrs F. F. Jolly,A. A. Goodntein. and John Radclifle, \ aud tho for the workers wero Messrs D. Moriarty. W. 11. Simmonds, and A. E. Bnllingcr. Misers Harris Bros, applied for exemption on the ground that they did. not employ furniture workers. This w.is agreed to, it being pointed ont ■ that Harris Bros, would come under tho award if thoy ever employed furniture workers. Mr W. i'io<-s appVcd for exemption on the ground that the only branch of work where he might become related to the furniture trade wn< in turning, and that he only did turnin;; for the builders. Ho admitted having mndo table for trihles for a whare erected, and furnished by hni'dcr* for their men. The Commissioner pointed out that Mr Gos> included under tho old award. Mr Orw rep'ied that ho was not nun re of it- If included in tho present awaid, ho would apply to the Arbitration Court for exemption. The Union objected to the exemption and il was refused. Mo«-r>- Col'ins and Co., and Mr W. M. Collins, of Ashhurton, and John - Jackson and Co., of Timaru. asked for exemption, but this was declined, as was an application by tho Farmers' Co-op., of.Timaru. In regard to a suggestion for a so- i parate sub-union lor Timaru, Mr Moriartr said tho Minister had laid it d«'wn that sub-uir.ona could not be formed. Addressing the Council. Mr Sullivan said that the furniture trades' unions lnd the reputation of working moro closely in harmony with the employers than any other union. It # was ten years since the present minimum wage had been fixed. The union would ■ challenge the statement that the industry could not bear 'tie increase Ho could namo a Christe, church employer in regard to. whom, the employer's brother, who was at that time shortly to become his partner, had - assured him again and again thnt he was clearing nearer £2000 than £1000 a , year out of the furniture mado in tho factory and sold in their retail business. That employer was employing less than a dozen workers. The Commissioner and tho employ- • crs' assessors expressed surprise at tho sum mentioned, and Mr Jolly pointed out that if the employees wore not prepared to havo that statement as to earning proved on oath, then Mr Sullivan should not havo mado it Mr Sull.ivari gave the Commissioner , ■' the man's name privately, i • lJr Mr Jolly 6aid it was a pity that tho , -> man's books could not bo produced for ,-_ the -Council's information. The Commissioner remarked that'b© ' t' had the power to compel the production C of any books required for tho informs-'\ „"] tion of tho Council. . , „ ..< Tho employers' assessors scouted the ." idea of an employer making £166 -a"„ '" year profit from tho work of each '»,' worker, but Mr Moriarty thought-£8 / a week was not an out of the way profit/ to realise on each man's work. - - "■*._■ Mr Sullivan went on to say that 6oroe\ ,„. years ago tho Canterbury IndustrEM --'' Association mado an investigation int-^' j - imports, and it was then shown tbgt ' ,' the furnituro trado. was in a mow/ * favourable position in regard to com*'" petition from imports than « trade. The rate asked for now, namely, - -' Is 4jd an hour, had boen conceded by . „. tho Wellington employers, .and- even" ~"z then it was difficult to get workers 1 ';'% Mr Moriarty: I will tako a .dozen ty* hack with mo to Wellington, if I can .i/ get them at £8 6s a week. -*t, Mr Black agreed with Mr Sullivan's -•'• remarks as to tho harmony existing-" = between the employers and tho worked'in the furnituro trado. In regard 'tor - tho present minimum, Mr should havo said it was fixed eight ( ; years ago, and not so long ago as t*D ; years. " . -.' ,-;' Mr Moriarty stated that farnitura , \ made in Christchurch was being* Mat £ up to tho North Island and success""- ■/: fully competing with tho articlo manu- }$ factured there. Ono Christohurch firm' ' ? had opened a branch in Wellington and . .',-) wero shipping stuff from Christchurch *? northwards. ' '<■ ' ;; Continuing, Mr Black said that 6» •*. 6d a week for 50 men meant an -id-v" ~- dition of 4 per cent. • "on-Va /_> turn-over ,of £16,000. That would.' no doubt, surprise the Council.' SffiftJL '. things mado an immense difference \\ sometimes. An' increase of 3d per* bun- ~'. drcd on timber meant an increase -,of £G5 a year to his firm. Ho did,not,--; , consider that the , minimum should'-..;V" be raised. His firm' (Peppier and ';v- - was paying 2s or 3s a day extra" to* j tho good men, which*fact• snowed.tha* * tho minimum had not become tbe-maw- '-■%' mum. There wa3 a part of tho -wow ■ ■ that required only a moderate degree /.- of skill to complete after tho machinery a - had dealt with it. ;r>--\ ■''. Mr Moriarty said that the Minister- «• had stated to a deputation that if'it, . > was clearly shown that tho duty.was '/ not sufficient to allow tho New Ze'a- / land articlo to compete with the;:nj« , "■ ported, he would raise tho duty, ana.' 1 on the other hand, if tho employers ' ; t wero proved not to be paying a decent *:'; wage, he would reduce the duty. --">-- Regarding tho minimum wage,, Mr „ r Black said that a number of men -<■; served six or eight years, and never-bo- v came competent. - - \vi* Tho Commissioner: An nndor-rate v> workers' clauso provides for that case. r Mr Black: But it is never used. MM :r worth moro than the present mini- ■.;; mum havo no difficulty in getting j4 MrGoodstcin quoted figures to show .? f." that his firm (Strange and Co.) pud. r a large number of men mora than tna, _. minimum. , .... • " Tho Union demand for the .*™»™* , - 1 of improvers cansed several lengthy _ \ conferences in private. » , - . s Mr Jolly said the present apprentKJ system had worked satisfactorilJr^.-*•' , - ' was not reasonable to argo that a yOBRff man. as Boon as he was his apprenticeship, should bo placed <». equal terms with his instructor. Spewing for his firm (A. J. White's), &• could say tbo foreman took V£. . teresi in tho apprentices, and taugOT them conscientiously. • ~'V "■ ' , During tho discussion Mr SnUifffl r remarked that the Union was gemots ,J1 try for a Dominion award. ' : , r \ Tho conference closed at 6 P« m 'Vi;~.- . settlement being arrived at on the-fW*- - lowing terms:—Wages to be -W^\. ? amount asked for-by tho Union. IM3J -, per. hour; a working week to consist.ot , t 44 hours. After serving an apprentice-,. ,|, , ship of five years a youth bocomosr**- g improver for ono year" instead ottfie *,- old term of two years, a.«.l hp • bo paid Is 14d per hour for the &*»>"*• six months and Is 3d ncr hour for «*•>»;' second six months. Tho other coßflK-.f lions aro on similar lines to tne.'<W»V!f award. , . \£SZ4" A clause was inserted in ! ment which will meet the I prevailing in Timaru. '"'Plf