INDUSTRIAL DISPUTE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 213, 2 June 1908, Page 8

INDUSTRIAL DISPUTE.

—— THE ENCINEERINC TRADE. CLAIMS OF THE WORKERS. The, Amalgamated Socicty of Engineers (Wellington Branch), having made application to havo referred to tho Conciliation Board for settlement the disputo which has arisen between tho employers and workers oi the various classes of the engineering trado represented by .the Union, the following dates havo accordingly been fixed, for the hearing of the case at the five industrial centres:— ■ Wellington, Friday, June'l2; Masterton, Monday, June 15; Nanier, Wednesday, June It' ; J Va lS al l ui ' Monday, July 6; Palmerston North, Wednesday, • July 8. c. i 6 statement of demands, it is specified that the working week shall consist of forty-four hours—eight hours per, day for fivo days, and four hours on Saturday. ' RATES, OF, PAY. ' Pattern-makers, blacksmiths,, fitters, turnelectrical and. coppersmiths shall rcceivo a minimum rate of Ib. Sd. per hour; coppersmiths included in the award to be all those who are employed in an engineering or ■ shipbuilding establishment. Farriers and coachsmiths ore-not included within the , meaning' of tho term " blacksmiths." An amendment to tho above clause adds tho following classes of labour:—Shipsmiths, angle-iron smiths, ships' plumbers, roll turners, machinists, millwrights, - mechanical draughtsmen, planers, borers, slotters, machine drillors, milling machine workers, shapers and other machine men; brass finishers, armature winders, scientific instrument makers, machine joiners employed in the construction of cotton, silk, flax, woollen, or j other machinery, die-sinkers, press tool makers and stampers, and drop-hammor forgers. ' Time and a half from tho usual stopping time up till midnight, and double timo after that hour, are the stipulated rates for overtime. Double time is to be also paid on Eastor Monday, Good Friday, King's Birthday, Prince of Wales's Birthday, Christmas Day, Boxing Da)', New Year's Day, Labour Day, and Sundays. Dirty repair .work outside the establishment shall be paid for at an.additional rate of Is. per day, to both journeymen and apprentices. A similar extra rate shall also bo paid to those employed outside a radius of three miles from tho employer's establishment. Night-shifts. shall also.be entitled to 2s. per night extra, Jbut this shall only apply after three consecutive nights have been worked; otherwise, overtime rates shall bo paid. The rates of for journeymen not fully competent by reason of age or physical weakness shall be fixed by representative agreement between employer and worker, oi by reference to the Chairman of the Conciliation Board. .CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT. The classes of workers recognised are twojourneymen and apprentices, latter to bo legally indentured for a period of hot less than five years, and to be paid—weekly rate' —7s. 6d. for the first year, 1 6d. for the second, 17s. 6d. for the third, 255. for tho fourth, and 30s.' for tho last year of their apprenticeship. ■ A further year's service in the same establishment shall entitle' them, during that'year, to, a minimum-rate of Is; 3d. per hour. The , number of apprentices allotted shall be in the proportion of, one to each four journeymen, or a fraction of tho first four. It is further specified that apprentices now working under a verbal agreement shall be legally indentured for the re: mai.nder of the term of apprenticeship.

Special machines, i.e., for milling, pistonrod grinding, planing, slotting, shaping, etc., must' be operated by fitters, turners; or apprentices, and not-more than one lathe or machine' shall be allotted to one man at a time. With the exception of apprentices, no porson who has not served five years in tho trade shall be employed in any of its various branches. ' v DREDGE ENGINEERS. Engineers employed'" oh 'dredges of less 1 than 16 n.h.p. shall be. entitled to (a) shift rates of Is. Bd. per hour for an eight-hours day and six days a week ; (b) or, if not working shifts, to a minimum. wage 1 of £4" 10s.' If in charge of two dredges undor the same proprietary, the minimum shall be £5 weekly f, and, where tho duties of dredgemaster and engineer are combined, the minimum shall be £5 10s.. Reservations provide that engineers shall have full" control'of machinery repairs, and may not perform duties,off the dredge while the. engines are'under steam. The overtime rates in.'' respect' to . dredge-, engineers shall bo tho same as for other engineering trades, specified above. 'Preference to unionists is asked for, and the'usual provision for arbitration upon disputes arising out of any of the clauses of the award is added. Tlio list of employers attached contains the names of over J a hundred firms.