AWARD FOR PAINTERS AND DECORATORS

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23043, 11 June 1940, Page 5

AWARD FOR PAINTERS AND DECORATORS

DISSENTING OPINION ON HOLIDAYS Disagreement with the decision of the Arbitration Court in declining the request of the Painters’ and Decorators’ Union that the new award for the industry' should provide for payment for statutory holidays, and in granting partial exemption to freezing companies, was expressed in the dissenting opinion entered by Mr A. L. Monteith, workers’ representative. Mr Monteith stated that an allowance should be made to enable hourly workers to get some recompense for the fact that they were not paid for statutory holidays. 'Workers ou weekly wages were paid for statutory holidays, and in addition, got an annual holiday, said Mr Monteith. It stood to reason that men would drift to other jobs where*holidays were paid for and annual holidays given. The clauses settled by the Court related to hours, Saturday work, wages, overtime, holidays, payment of wages, suburban work, country work, brushware, ship work, ladder work, dirty work, men in charge, exemptions and the term of the award. In other respects the award embodies the recommendations arrived at by the assessors in Conciliation Council. Hours of work fixed by the award are 40 a week. A minimum rate of pay of 2s 9d an hour has been fixed for painters including time worked by them at painting, paperhanging, glazing. graining, signwriting, decorating, pictorial signwriting, poster and display artistry, paint and lacquer spraying, where not covered by any other award, calcimining, distempering, and lime-washing, and all preparatory work in connexion with any of these operations. Nothing in the clause shall apply to any ticket-writing done by shop assistants as such for use in the establishment in which they are employed. . . . , . ~ Special provision is made m the award for conditions of employment on ship work, including a minimum wage of 2s 9d an hour for journeymen working at any branch of the trade. The award will operate through the Northern, Taranaki, Wellington, Marlborough; Nelson, Canterbury, and Otago, and Southland industrial districts, and will be in force from June 10, 1940 until June 10, 1941.