FIRE BRIGADES’ DISPUTE

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22464, 27 July 1938, Page 16

FIRE BRIGADES’ DISPUTE

CONCILIATION COUNCIL DISCUSSION (PBCSS ABSOCT4TIOK TIMOEIB.) WELLINGTON, July 26. A long argument on wages occupied most of the hearing of the Dominion fire brigades’ industrial dispute, which was commenced before the Conciliation Commissioner, Mr M. J. Reardon, in Wellington to-day. The only points agreed on were the classification and wages of watciiroom attendants up to 21 months, and the classification of probationer firemen, third class, second class, and first class firemen, in which the claims and counter-claims were identical. The employers also agreed on the claims of the union for the wages of cooks employed on stations. Other matters were left in the dispute stage. The hearing will conclude to-morrow; Upon Mr D. I. Macdonald (Christchurch) , agent lor the employers, stating that the employers refused to include provisions in a Dominion award for part-time workers, Mr L. Glover, agent for the union, said there would be no alternative but to form a union for part-time men. He contended that these men were covered in the union’s rules, and were part of regular fire brigades.