NO AGREEMENT.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20878, 10 June 1933, Page 4

NO AGREEMENT.

BRICK WORKERS' DISPUTE. WAGES AND HOURS UNSETTLED. The assessors failed to reach an agreement when the adjourned industrial dispute between the employers in the brick and tile industry and the Canterbury Brick, Pottery, Pipe, Tile, and Clay Workers' Union was heard in the Conciliation Council yesterday before the Conciliation Commissioner, Mr S. Ritchie. The hearing was adjourned from May 18 to allow the employees' assessors to place the final offer of the employers before members of the union. The employers had offered a 48 hour week and the following rates of pay: Flangers, moulders, and stickers, Is 8d an hour; drawers and setters, Is 7d; all other workers, Is 6Jd. When the council resumed yesterday Mr D. I. Macdonald said that the employers' assessors had been instructed to reach an agreement, but they could not possibly exceed Is 6|d as the minimum wage. This was a halfpenny higher than the wage offered by employers in other centres. The employees were prepared to accept a reduction of 5 per cent., said Mr H. Worrall. They could see no possibility of coming to an agreement, as they considered they had come down far enough. Mr Macdonald said that Is Cid was to be the basic rate in the award, and if they could not settle that point they could not reach an agreement on the rest of the award.

Effect of Building Scheme.

The employees' assessors retired to consider this offer. When they returned Mr Worrall said they were not prepared to accept less than Is 7d, and moved that the dispute be referred to the Arbitration Court.

Mr Macdonald: It is hardly likely we are willing to refer it to the Arbitratioij, Court. We want to reach an agreement if we can. The Unemployment Beard's building scheme may create a good deal of work, and it is not a stage at which we want to be without an award.

Mr Macdonald suggested that other clauses in the award on which the parties differed could be settled. Mr Worrall: When there was a scarcity of labour the employers were forcing labourers into the Arbitration Court; but who is holding the "big stick" now? A 48-hour Week. There was some discussion on other points, the employers' assessors agreeing to include the "smoko" clause of the old award if the employees would work a 48-hour week.

Mr Worrall said the employees feared if they worked longer hours there would be less men employed, but Mr T. W. Woodroffe said that a full complement of men was necessary in order to get the utmost , from the machinery. Mr Worrall asked for his motion to be put, and it was lost. If the employees notified the Court before June 17 of their intention to reopen proceedings, said Mr Macdonald, the case would be gone on with.