THE PETONE WORKERS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 139, 6 March 1908, Page 8

THE PETONE WORKERS.

THE TROUBLE AT THE GEAR WORKS. INTERPRETATION OF AN AWARD. In-regard to tho brief trouble at the Gear Company's works (Pctone), on Monday, involving a demand on the part' of a number of the men for a higher wage, tho history of the case v from , the point of view of tho employees is as follows:—

In Juno of last.year, when tho "general labourers' " case was coming before the Arbitration Court at Wellington, application was mado-by-tho Union to bring into operation Sub-Section C of Clause 3 of the Amending. Act, of. 1905. . Under this clause employers wore cited- by means of. advertise-' mont instead of by the old method-of personal citation.. The Union thought: that the effect of-this clause would be to bring under, the oporation of the award'' all general labourers not 'covered- by any existing awards. In this ivay it was believed by the Union that the general labourers working in and around the 'meat companies'' works at Ngahauranga and Petone would conic under tho operations of . the award! Ih November of last year, it is said, the' Gear Company applied for, exemption from the award, but the' of the Arbitration. Court; held that bo had no'power to'grant exemption at'that stage. . Tho. Secretary, of the Employers' Association then agreed with 'the Secretary of the Union to sign a joint application for an interpretation of the award,. to ascertain whether the companies wero'actually cited by the advertisement. This arrangement was not concluded- 011 January 27 of this year (two months later), and the Union, knowing tho temper of tho men- employed, asked tho Labour Department;, to take immediate steps to ascertain the views of the Court on tho matter. On February !11 last ' a "portion of the . labourers employed in the Gear Company's works, tiring of the delay in the matter of tho interpretation, camo out on strike. The. trouble was settled by the Company giving the men;ls. 3d. per hour (the amount of their dehiand). The majority of -tho men in the other departments refrained from striking until further oppbrtunity was , giv^n-of seeking the aid of the. Court through the Union. On February 13 tho. Union', again pointed out to the. Labour Department the seriousness of the position. Finally the interpretation was given on' February 22, and. on February 24 the men decided to withdraw from- the General Labourers' Union.. The claims submitted to tho Court had been that a wage should be fixed-for," among others, "all other classes of casiial general labour," and the Court' had awarded a wage for, among others, "labourers. not hereinbefore specified." The\Union submitted tha.t the men were."covered by "labourers not . hereinbefore ' specified," since, _ when they were engaged, their- instructions were to do' anything they' were told, and that their duties included shovelling coal, carrying wool, loading , wool on trucks, unloading lime and - salt, stacking meat,' wool, and skins, pushing- trucks and' keeping the , roads,., walks, "and grounds in order, etc. ... Tho Court,. however, in it's interpretation, - had decided against, tho men.

Thp'men, receiving "this statement?.-with-, draw ,-from the General- Labourers' "Union on the ground that, tho • Union was of no valuo to thorn! On Monday last some of thorn came out on strike for aii increase of 3d. per. hour. They discontinued work; at 10 a.m>, and at 3 p.m. had agreed to. accept a compromise of ljd.'' per hour.' . / . Since then work has been proceeding as usual.