ENGINEERS' DISPUTE.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19467, 14 November 1928, Page 4

ENGINEERS' DISPUTE.

CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

Mr W. H. Hagger, Conciliation Commissioner, yesterday presided over a conference in connexion with the case brought by the New Zealand Institute of Marine and Power Engineers, Wei-' lington, under the Labour Disputes Investigation Act, 1913, against the New Zealand Refrigerating Company, Ltd., Thomas Borthwick and Sons, Ltd., North Canterbury Sbeepfarmers'_ Cooperative Freezing Company, ' Kaiapoij and the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company, Christchurch. ■ _ i The Act provides that the dispute should first be referred to the Minister for Labour, who may (a) refer the matter to the Conciliation Council with power to call a conference of parties to the dispute (or of their representatives), or (b) refer the matter for investigation to a Labour Dispute Committee. The Minister in this instance elected to refer the dispute to the Conciliation' Council and the conference was the result. The institute asks tliat hours ox work be forty-eigbt, to be arranged to auit the exigencies of the works by mutual arrangement. - It asks also that shift. engineers be paid £354 a year, payable monthly, any engineer in receipt of a higher rate_ to have same reduced; that one month s notice, on either side, be required for the termination of employment; and that all time in excess of _ forty-eight hours a week be made up lit time off, hour foi' hour. The proceedings were taken m committen, reporters being excMea.