ARBITRATION COURT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 151, 20 March 1908, Page 4

ARBITRATION COURT.

WHARF LABOURERS' DISPUTE

The sittings of tho Arbitration Court at Wellington were resumed yesterday morning, Judge Sim and Messrs. S. Brown (emplovers' representative) and J. A. M'Cullough (workers' representative) taking their seats at ,10.30 o'clock. .:.

¥'^ a '' e "> secretary of tho Wellington \\ harf Labourers' UnionMr: 11; F TT„?' " Auckland Wiarf Labourers' of the W T ' Eng al)peaml 01lbeha ' f c'i - F ' „ Kirb y represented tho Union ft Co «lP a ny, Mr. H. E. Kieholls p r L i!,' lgto , u H- al 'bour Board, and Mr. W. owners. ' ° a aud > foreign-going ship

„ 3 / Laren j informed tho Court, that 'at t! ?®'Proviouß day, between tho Tininn ;t Ves 1 5 10 cm Ployers and the 3" ? wa f resolved (1) that it be a"recom- • pondation to tho Harbour Board :that pro- ; ™ ,WI fl made .i or waiting room , oil tho ground floor with the object of facilitating hniliN™ aS °™wL°£i > or near tho tw pf' . tlie conference agrees that Clauso.lO of tho award should.reading™ DUr , to -engaged: at some, definite' place or places to. be arranged from .••■tinio +IL.+ 0 J? a r. agreement between the secro- ) to the union and the.employer or em-: P ■, c ,? n .®F rnG 4 jointly with the secretary • } V ° ,ul et?n Harbour- -Board. Im tho • e\ent of the parties-being unable to agree r™(L fV 01 ' . Places of engagement tlio • it ®. referred- to the Chairman of TrlS^Ml'ation; Board for tho Wellington'. industrial District for his decision." This a S r . should" bo .without L rights of the employers to raise tho question of men, being engaged un ,4 er exceptional circumstances.. intJi +i meutll ? ned powt.'.was. Mr. M'Laren tho only one upon which an agree-, -ment was not arrived at. .Mi', Kirby, on. behalf of the a stotonont showing . that; they .' practically adhered to .the. present award.. li" t re„ard tp . tho handling of cargo, the late of• Is. 3d.Jfor.• ordinary time .and 2s.' tor . overtime - ha'd in 1906 been conceded ' by tho _ Harbour Board, who, under the award, had a concession made to . them. , v CASE FOR THE UNION. • ■ 'Mr. M'Laren, in outlining the ca'fee for' the Union, stated that the men were applying for a half-holiday on Saturdays or overtime for all classes .of laboiiri' . For Stevedores, general cargo work and ' work- tone tor tho Harbour Board, Is. :3d. for ordinary tjmoand-2s: tor overtime /was asked. Whoa - * men. .were engaged handling bags -of oement, lime, manuro, and shale, - the rates slioukl, in ■ tho opinion of the Union,- bo is. Gd.' for ordinary time and 2s. 6d. overtime. , Men employed shovelling, coal, and o.i top. work, should receive .Is. Gd; and 2s. 6d. in place ,of .Is. 4d7and 2s. id., da teed_ by , the existing award. . The .vages -i n lll , - casa °,f trimmers were .j. 6d. and.-2s ; : 6d. ■At . present,. .Is. '3d. -and-:25.-.. was.being paid in? the case of'foreigu-goine beats and Is.. Gd. and. 2s. Gd. in tho case of: ceastal!and inter-colonial boats.- No alteratiou was desired, in the • rates, for carrying c0a1... For repair. work •in ■ the interior of vessels an. increaso from Is. and Is. 9d. to Is. 3d. and 25., the same as. for other classes, was demanded. The,;.ratos\'desired - for-, haijdhng. frozen, produco'in freezing chambers were;. 2s. and 35.',. and on '.whams and "in '■ .coo! chambers Is". Gd.;and. 2s. 6d. - For this class of work the. present rates /were Is.: Gd. and 2s. Gd.^arid'ls. 3d.'and 2s. respectively, Under tho heading outports there , was .no dispute: as ; to' tho rates; to' be paid,. but 1 ' it was stated. that, nieals, fares, and proper sleeping accommodation should be • provided. Sundays : excluded.,. With ; regard to work in stream the Union asked that men engaged to'.'work anywhere within :the limits. ,of Wellington Harbour"should be paid from, the tinio of leaving tho place of engagement up tillthe , time .of. return.'.tortile, wharf. In the. caso:of men' ordered down; and afe tending.;between's p.m.'and.7 a.m., it was ' held.: that .they. slmu!d;/receiv.e .no!fc.,less. than, two hours' pay, and where wiSrk" was 1 dona ' ' after midnight Gd. per hour extri : Was'demanded. The Court' was' asked to add Picnic Day to tho list, of special: holidays, and to fix tho rato of pay : for .special, holidays at double overtime. In-the event of any"' of the holidays being: generally., observed on a day other, than that on' which it falls, tho day observed I 'should bo deemed to. be tho holiday. Under'-tho heading "meal hours," it , was desired . that tho. supper, hour should bo allowed between, 10 and 12 p.m., instead of betweenll p.m. and la.m. • A "smoko" foi twenty minutes without deduction of pay between midnight : and 7 .aiini was also: de-' tiianded. Douhlo.time was. asked»for"woi-fc dene in 'meal hours,' and the Court: was. asked {to specify 1 iii-'the 'award that' jnon engaged at 6 p.m. -might work I ,on until midnight ' without a suppor hour, 1 but : if - likely to bo required to work after midnight they should receive their supper , hour.- All men engaged on work in ,the stream should, it was urged,- reoeive one clear hour on snore for their meal. Men 1 required to work overtjmo'should be engaged during tho or-, diuary working : hours, provided -that men should not be engaged after lioon on Saturdaj'S. The engagement of men: io start, workit 8. a.m. should not-conimerice .before '7.45 .'a.m.; and men should leave- the placelof engagement:, at 8 a.m.; and '.no engagements 'should take place between. 12 rioon and 12.56' p.m. With regard to. payment of wages, the l Union ' requested that the money bo kept back a' snorter tinio by some companies, and that the time of payment' bo extended. The system of payment-in vogue, by the.. Harbour Board required decided improvement. -.The Union asked'that in loading' ot discharging' cargo,' as a truck or trolley load, for. two men, tho sling should not exceed 12cwt., except in the case of a, single package. In trucking and trolleying all transhipments the 'loaa for each man should not exceed si«vjfc.' Among the new clauses were tho followipjr :—Payment for' : : time ' lostv in slandiflg by';:pa'ymuiits shall be for time from engaMment'tb start work; in ha'ndliug beef not less thah ! Six men on a . side shall ho employed;-!that' orders shall bj given only 1 by recognised 'foremen .aiid .^ships'.- officers, ! and the Union.'shall' be notified of any sucn : I appointment; ""arid that preferortco ■of em-'; plojoneiit ■ shall Bo'granted to'members':,of: the Union., lii Mr. M'Laren' pointed out that.'it was' urged that tho award should apply permanent as well' as- casual employees. ! ' y - . : ' Evidence on behalf Union was given _ by Bernard Myers,'- s&vedore; T. King, wharf r labourer:"Tlios J.'-Hevell, coal; worker; F. M'Quarrio, coal "xetSiti&r;'.- Heury- Wallace, wharf labourer; PatviiU' 1 Joyce, coal; worker; O. Christopherson, •' sdhjiian; •M. ■ .Wishart,. shipwright; Chas. W: ! ?Ho\vard, .wharf- la- ; : bourer; , Chas. ' M;', tt ;Duff,' stevedore";'. Jno.' Jones, wharf laboiur'or';' ,r >Geo. M'Farland, wharf labourer; R; WillteW, stevedore,; -Wv-'-' Curry, cargo workerF. Burden,. wharf labourer arid president of tho Union; and Samuel Webb, wharf labourer. The Court then adjourn^djuntil. 1Q.30. this, morning. ' ' '. ' ;