NEW AWARD FOR ENGINEERS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22358, 23 March 1938, Page 5

NEW AWARD FOR ENGINEERS

Union Seeks 35-Hour Week

CONCILIATION COUNCIL ADJOURNED

A Conciliation Council was held in* Christchurch yesterday to consider the claims of the workers in the engineers’ and moulders’ industrial dispute. This dispute affects the whole Dominion. The workers submittedclaims asking for a 35-hour week, Of which seven hours should be worked on each day from Monday to Friday inclusive, between the hours of 7.30 a.m. and 5 p.m. All work done in excess of these hours should be counted as overtime and should be paid for at the rate of time and a half for the first two hours and thereafter double time.

The following should be the recognised holidays:—New Year’s Day. January 2, Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Monday, King’s Birthday. Labour Day, Anniversary Day, Show Day, Christmas Day. and Boxing Day. Should these holidays fall on a Saturday or Sunday, then the holidays should be observed on the following Friday and Monday, respectively, and be paid for. The following were some of the minimum wages asked for: —Toolmakers, patternmakers, aero, typewriter, duplicator, adding machine, and textile mechanics, draughtsmen, and tradesmen on hot mix plants, 3s 6d an hour; tradesmen. 3s 3d an hour; sec-ond-class machinist, 3s an hour; process workers, 2s 9d an hour; moulders, (i) journeymen iron and brass moulders, 3s 3d an hour; (ii) journeymen core makers, 3s 3d an hour; (iii) machine moulders, 3s 2d an hour. It was also asked that where workers provided their own tools they be paid 2d an hour more, and any tools lost or broken be replaced by the employer, and that no worker other than a tradesman use the tools of the trade. The award should operate throughout the Northern. Taranaki, Wellington, Canterbury. Otago, and Southland industrial districts. The employers did not submit counter-proposals, but stated that steps had been taken by them to have a sitting at an early date dealing with the industry on a comprehensive basis —that is, making provision for the several classes of workers engaged in the various industries connected with the metal trades.

A general discussion was held, and it was finally agreed that the council should be adjourned sine die, and that the next sitting would be arranged for the same date as the comprehensive hearing. It was further agreed that steps be taken by both parties to the dispute to expedite the making of the award by the Court, and the engineers were assured that the present adjournment would not in any way delay their approach to the Court on their present citation.