CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17741, 18 April 1923, Page 7

CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

SOAPWORKERS' DISPUTE.

A sitting of tho Conciliation Council was held yesterday to'consider a dispute between tho Canterbury Manure, Tallow, arid Soap 'Workers (Canterbury Freezing Works and Related Trades Union) and their ernployeiß. The Conciliation Commissioner, Mr W. H. "Hagger, presided. The aucessors for tho employers were Mossra W. H. Marsh, R. ii. Wilson, J. R. Taylor, and F. Cooper (secretary «f tho Employers' Association), ar.d for the. employees Messrs A. E. Vasey, J. Clarke, and F. O. Ellis (secretary of tho Union). The main demands of the Union were as follows:

Hours of work to be 44 per week, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, and between 8 a.m. and 12 noon on Saturdays. Rates of pay to be 18a per day of eight hours for manure workers; Workers employed in acid works to r - eceive 20s per day of eight hours; when engaged chipping boilers or digesters, cleaning boiler-flues, or working in ncid-towers, to be paid at the rate of tim.? und a half for such work; workers employed at bone-crushing to receive Is Tper Imtut extra for such work J overtimes to ■be paid at the rate of lime and a half for the first three hours and double time afterwards. Whenever employers engage a worker who is not a member of the Union, he shall within seven days thereafter give notice in writing of such employment to the secretary of the Union. Adult workers to receive a minimum of £3 103 per week. The Union's delegate to be the first on and the last off in his department. The employers objected to many of the demands of the Union and submitted counter proposals on the lines of the present award. Hours of work to be 48 per week. Rates to pay to be Is 9Jd per hour tor manure workers, la IOJd for acid workers, and Is 6|d for soap workers. The Union's demand in connexion with men engaged in chipping, hoiling, and similar work to be agreed to. The employers objected to giving notice of the_ employment of non-unionists, to the provision of a minimum age, and to the demand concerning the employment of the Union's delegate. Agreement in wages was reached aa follows:—TaHow, manure, and acid workers, Is 9j|d; chartermen and other continuous shift workers, Is Hid; and boap workers, Is BJd per hour. The employees agreed to the retention of the 48-' hour week, and abandoned a olaim for Is an hour extra for men employed in bonecrushing. Workmen engaged on extra shifts are to receive Id an hour extra, and overtime to be paid at the rate of time and a hall for the first four hours and double time thereafter.

A complete agreement having been reached, recourse to' the Arbitration Court will be unnecessary. The term of the award ia one year, commoni-ins; on the 27th inst.