DECISION RESERVED

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22135, 3 July 1937, Page 10

DECISION RESERVED

SAWMILL AND YARD WORKERS' AWARD

Decision was reserved by the Arbitration Court yesterday at the conclusion of the hearing of evidence in the proceedings for the North Canterbury sawmill, timber yards, and coal yards award.

Mr Justice O'Regan presided. Mr VV. Cecil Prime (employers* representative) and Mr A. L. Monteith (employees' representative) were also on the bench. The matters to be settled by the Court included wages (including the applicants' claim for weekly wages), holidavs. and conditions of employment of youths. The case also involved the inclusion of joiners' machinists in the award, a representation having been made that these workers should be included in the carpenters', joiners'. and joiners' machinists' award.

In closing the case for the union, Mr R. M. Macfarlane stated that the men whose work was in question received 6d an hour less coming under the classification of other machinists than they would if they came under the carpenters' and joiners' award. If they were classed as first-class machinists they would receive 2s 5.7 d an hour, as compared with 2s Gid if they were under the other award. In advancing the claim for a week's holiday on pay. he said that it was possible that some of the workers would not be entitled to the statutory holidays under the Factories Act. as their status was now the subject of an appeal to the Supreme Court. In claiming increased wages he said that it was considered that the building industry was about to enter a settled period.