WAGES AND HOURS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18149, 12 August 1924, Page 13

WAGES AND HOURS.

FOUNDRY HANDS' DISPUTE. (pbbss association telegram.) , "WELLINGTON, August U. Tho hearing of the application of the masters' Association for a uominion award [ in respect of four branches of the engineering industry was continued before the Arbitration Court to-dao*. Mr ,Bromley, lor tile men, eaid ho hoped to convince the Court that the last award had o. ji"ited unjustly against thp workers, and tnat the Union's demands were reasonable requests, sound in principle, and sound economically. , _ „ Tho Union claimed.a. 40-hour weeK, and Mr Bromley dealt with the general question of hours in some detail. An employer whose men are on a 40-hour week had told aim he would not revert to the Saturday morning work,. even if the men wanted to. The Unions suggested 2a 9d an hour as the minimum rate. High wages were the secret of America's success ae. a manufacturing ©ouaj try B«tter wages herr would increase j ciency and help the industry to meet outsido competition. Mr T. O. .Bishop, .or tho employers, replied that in asking for a 40-aonr weeX the Union's representative said they were prompted by a deeire to give employment to mare men. That was exactly the reason the employers expected was behind the application. It was » fallacy to thtnk that a reduction of hours was going to lead to greater employment. It was tried after the war and proved an absolute fi-llacy. Wages had to be paid out of production, not out of «w>iitL Mr Bishop quoted extensively from W. A. Appleton. one of the sanest, of Enjrlish Irado unionists. who emphasised that high, wages must be accompanied \ry high efficiency and production. lie submitted thai only one award was necessary, classifying ih/b men: (3) Skilled men doing ekillad work; (2) skilled men doing semi-skilled work; (4) unskilled men doing unskilled work. Regarding access to premises, it was pubmittod that it was . only as a ccrrrteay that the employers permitted it, (and the tTnion should not T>e in a position to dei&aad it. It had also been shown that production in engineering- had fallen to an.' alarming extent, nnd so far as manufactures were concerned, the indiMtrV was at present in danger. He believed that the Union's two. posai» were unreasonable sad unfair and hj» was content to leave the matter ia the hinds of the Ceart. Decision tras reacrrcd.