LAST AWARD IN 1928

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22358, 23 March 1938, Page 12

LAST AWARD IN 1928

CLAIMS OF WOOLLEN MILL WORKERS

“RATES BELONGING TO

DARK AGES”

HIGHER WAGES SOUGHT IN

DOMINION DISPUTE

tPSBSS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.)

WELLINGTON, March 22,

For the first time for nine years, the Court of Arbitration, is asked to issue a new award to cover woollen mill workers. The full title of the dispute is the New Zealand Federated Woollen Mills and Hosiery Factories Employees’ dispute. A start with the hearing of the' case for the workers was made to-day. The first question the Court considered was whether clerks employed purely in. mills or factories should come under the award or under the New Zealand Clerical Employees’ Association. After the hearing of submissions the Court reserved its decision.

Addressing the Court on the case as a whole, the advocate for the workers (Mr Young) said that no award had been made since August 31, 1928. That award was a replica of the award that operated from July 32. 1926. It was therefore competent to say that wages, overtime, and all conditions of work of the workers had not been altered for nine years, and it would further be established that the present wages and overtime rates were identical with those of 16 years ago. The reason, for the lapse of time was not that the workers were Jn any sense content with the present award, but it was due to depression which overcame the country and the retrograde industrial enactments of an unfavourable Government that placed the employers of the Dominion in an unchallengeable position respecting industrial disputes, awards and industrial agreements, leaving the workers entirely at the mercv of the employers. Reasons For Delay > In the circumstances, it was the wise policy of the workers to refrain from entering an industrial dispute Under an act before the enactments of the Labour Government. Had they done so and refused to acfcept the wages and conditions of work offered by the employers, the award would automatically have gone out of existence in a month and/ the workers would have been left without any prescribed rates, wages, and conditions of work.

“Having in mind the wages and conditions existing in other industries, one need have no hesitation at all in submitting that the workers of New Zealand woollen mills are by far the worst treated body of working men end women of the Dominion, inasmuch as their wages are rates belonging to the Dark Ages, while their conditions of work are so, meagre as to be not worth, counting,” said Mr Young. “On top of this, the employers firmly contend for the fewest possible classifications of workers, their object being to employ a worker at the very lowest grade of pay and in a week or so require him to perform a higher grade ct work, while still giving him the lower pay.” _ It would be found that the rates paid to adult males in. 1921 were identical with those under the present award. Proposed Wages Wages claimed for foremen are £'/ Be a week, forewomen £4 ,15s, and ©ssistant forewomen £4 ss. It is asked that if the present wage of the foreman is higher than the rate claimed, the existing wage shall be the minimum during the currency of the award. Increases ranging from 2s 6d to 15s a week are sought for girls other than clerks, and from Is 6d to j.OB for boys other than clerks. For youths other than clerks the increases sought are 5.90 d an hour at 18, 6.38 d at 19, and 6.75 d at 20. For flue cleaners 5s an hour is asked, and for spinners attending to more than 400 spindles 3s an hour. Double and a quarter time is claimed for work bn Sundays, and double time for work' qh holidays.,' For pieceworkers; the rates to be based oh average ordinary earnings during the preceding week. In overtime rates, ■ said Mr 'Young, the claims introduced a new principle of. differentiation, according to the hours of the . day when the overtime was worked, the scale being time and a half for' work between 5 p.m. and ■ 8 p.m., double, time between 8 p.m. and