METAL WORKERS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14919, 18 March 1914, Page 4

METAL WORKERS.

A dispute between the Canterbury Metal Workers' Assistants' Industrial Union of Workers and the employers was heard.

The assessors for the employers were: —Mr G. F. Whittaker (Booth. Mao donld and Co.>, Mr J. B. Laurenson (Crown Ironworks), and Mr F. Cooper; and for the applicants were:— Mr W. Dwight, Mr C. Bloom, and ->Lr J. E. Underwood. Mr F. Ellis and Mr E. J. Howard appeared on behalf of the Uniou. In the new proposals put forward by the Union there were demands for a 44 hours' week; wages, labourers, strikers. yardmen. icttlers, and machinists all Is 4Sd per hour. When men are employed as holders-up on all watertight work, furnacing and Hanging boiler work, the demand was for not less than Is 4id per hour, and when this work was done on ships the same rate was asked. For furnace working steel crucible furnaces a rate of not less than Is 6d per hour was asked. Clause be paid to all workers of and over the age of 21 years shall be paid the full minimum rate of wages; under and up to 16 years, 15s per week; lb' to 1< years, 20s; IT to 18 yearn. £1 3s: 18 to 19 years, £1 10s; 10 to 20 years, £1 15s; 20 to 21 years, £2 5s per week. Clause 8 states* that all men employed in dirty work on ships or ashore shall be paid Is per day as "dirt money," youths on the same work, Od per day extra. Clause 9 asked for double time on holidays. Clause Ob asked for overtime at the rate of time and a quarter for the first two hours, and time and a half after. These rates to be paid to all workers of over the age and of 19 years. An underrate workers' clause was inserted, and with tegard to preference the employer was given the right to employ anyone he liked so long as that workman joined the union within bne week. The employers' counter-proposals were on the terms of the old award, with small alterations to bring it into line with the engineers' award. In the discussion on the demands the Commissioner stated that in the recent award just made in Dunedin the increase in wages was just about _d per hour over the wages paid in Christchurch. Mr. Cooper said that a decision on union demands was shortly to be made by the Arbitration Court in Wellington, and he proposed to adjourn __ the meeting until such time as the Court in Wellington had issued its derision. The employers in Christchureh would not offer less than the award, but, speaking frankly, they did not want to offer more. Mr Laurenson pointed out that the industry would not stand an increase in the wages. At the present time tho engineering trade was in a very depressed state, as the Year Book figures would show, and Sf ho. personally, could sell his business at a discount of 25 per cent., he would waik out to-morrow, cease employing-labour, and im-ort. Mr Ellis said if that "was so, s how did thfl Dunedin firms keep going when they were paying a higher rate of wages tbaii Canterbury? Mr Whittaker denied that that was tho case: the Christchureh minimum wage might be lower, but he contended that more than the minimum wage was paid, and the average wage in Christchureh was more than that of Dunedin. In answer to a ouestion by the Commissioner. Mr Waters, one of the parties oited, said that in his opinion if a higher rate of wages was given in Canterbury, it would leave the business open" to an outside competition thnt could not be fought against. The Commissioner suggested, after come discussion, that tho parties should try and agree on wlint- clnuses they could, and leave the disputed clauses to the Court. This course was agreed to, and the clauses were tanen seriatim. The hours for night workers were agreed to; clauses 3, 4, 5, and 6, all relating to wages, were referred to the Court. Clause 8, referring to dirty work afloat or ashore was agreed *-->. and it was decided to leave the holidays nnci overtime, clauses to the Court. The clause re travelling expenses and pay was agreed to, as well as the underrate workers' clause, amended to conform with the Court's usual clause. On tho other hand, the preference clause as set out in the demands -of the Union was preferred and agreed tr. in preference to the Court's clause. The fcope of the award was ae"-e<*»d to, but the ter*n was referred to the Court. The C'nirt then rose. TAXr DRIVERS' DISPUTE. The Conciliation Commissioner states that the dispute between the Taxi Drivers' Union *>nd employers, which was set down for Friday next, at 2 p.m., will go on to the Court, as the emnloyers have refused to recognise the Union, for they consider it has no standing under the Act.