PAPER BAG MAKERS.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17812, 11 July 1923, Page 5

PAPER BAG MAKERS.

NEW AWARD WANTED. A Conciliation Council eat yesterday to deal with an industrial dispute between the Christchurch Printing Trade Industrial Union of Workers and the employer#. The Commissioner, Mr W. H. Hagger, presided) and t-lic assessors were Miss K. E. Eon, Mrs E. Ballantyne, and Mr 0. Renn for the Union, and Messrs W. F. Soper, B. C. Whitcombe, and T. B. Crawahaw for the employee, with. Mr F. Cooper as agent. The section of the workers concerned was the paper bag, carton, and box-makers. The Union's claims were aa follows (the employers' counter proposals being shown in parentheses): The hours> of work shall not exceed 42 hours (45) weekly. The minimum wagea for the workers engaged in any;, branch of tie industry shall be:—First six months £1 8a 6d per week (l€s fid); second six months, £1 6s (18s); second year, £1 lis (£1 4s); third year, £1 16s (i'l 9s); fourth year, £2 Is (£1 14s); fifth vear, £-2 11a and thereafter £2 16s per week (after fourth year £2 Os 6d per week). Overtime shall bo paid at the rate of time and a half for the first three hours and double time-thereafter (time and a half). All workers shall be granted a week'fl .holiday on full pay on tha. completion of each year of service (opposed by employers). Mr Cooper stated that the v.agea offered by the employers were on a parity with thoso granted by the Arbitration. Court for female workers. The Commissioner said that ia the industry at Wellington wages had been fixed, at the same rates aa those asked by the Union. Tho weekly hours of work at Wellin-gion .were fixed at 43. Mr Renn «aid that these terms would ba agreeable to the employees. The assessors for the employers refused to consider these terraß, being of the opinion that the rates of pay at Wellington were too high. The Commissioner said that aa _ an agreement had been reached in Wellington no difficulty should be experienced in reaching 1 an agreement in Christchurch. Mr Soper eaid that the employers could not agree to the Wellington award. They did not think Wellington should bo able to oommit the whole of tho Dominion. After retiring to consider the matter, the employers' assessors stated that they oould not agree to the wages asked by the'Wiion. The Union's request ..for a week's heliday was agreed to. A discussion took place on. the question of piecework. Mr Soper said that the employers only wanted piecework for the reason that it would often otherwise be im-oossible to get the necessary output in times of pressure. They objected, however, to paying 15 per cent, for such work above the minimum rates provided. Mr Renn said that the Union did not desire piecework and that the 15 per oent. extra wagea were fixed' by the Arbitration Court. The clause was agreed to. At the afternoon sitting Mr Renn. said that he was prepared to alter the Union's claims in respect of wagea to £1 Is for the first,-#ix months and £1 6s for the seoond six months and agree to a 45 hours' week, Mr Soper stated in reply that there wna no chance of his ever agreeing -to the Wellington rate of wages. An agreement was oome to ill respect of all matters in dispute except wag«a and hours, which were referred to tho Arbitration Court.