GENERAL LABOUR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 298, 10 September 1908, Page 4

GENERAL LABOUR.

EXTENSION OF AWARDS. 5 POSITION OFAOCAL BODIES. , v ARGUMENT ; BEFORE' COURT. "" Tho .dispute , between . the „ Wellington • General Labourers' Industrial Union of' Workers aitd the employers was before the Arbitration Court yesterday. Various local bodies 'wero included in the long list of eril'- J ployers cited. ' Mr: W. Pryor appeared for the employer?, arid Mr. M. J. Reardon for the" 1 union.' T' , RATES OF PAY. The union asked that the following should bo the minimum rates of wages to be. paid to tho several classes of workers respectively:—, .' . *vV Tunnel Work,—Tunnel men, lip. per shift; timber men, lis.; all other workers,employed underground, 10s. 6d. • .". .:u,L. :! ■ < Quarry Work. —Powder men, Is. od, per • hour; crusher'men, Is. 6d.; spawlersj ls.v 4Jd. 5 hammer and drill men, Is. 4Jdr; jumper, m'on, Is. 4Jd.: quarry men, ,Is. 4jd. ' Buildings.—Labourors employed in connection with the erection, alteration,;-,or 'demolition of any building, or'-in-excavating-or preparing ground for the same; Is." 4id;; per hour; labourers engaged as scaffolders. Is. 6d. Meat'.'Works —l'ullers,' '.-painters,': fleshe'raj i pelt-elassers,. curing-dolly,'- dolly-men; steamdryer, and wringer-moil,- lfl.'.'4sd. ;per hourj scudders,; skin-wasbors, wcol-scourer3. and trimmers, Is. 4}d.; general'and,. floor hands,. Is. 33-d. ; freezing chamber hands, Is.' 6d.:discharging. hands, Is. 9d.; cooling-floor, and, fat-house hands, -Is. 33d.; gutrhouse. lands, Is. 3|d. ; manure, and blood-crushing hands,Is. 8J&'; boning hands, Is. Gd. j ' ' General Labourers.—Kerbing and channelling, Is. 6d. per hour; sew<3r'woi'k," Is: 6d.;' platelayers, Is. 4id.;, asphalt-makers, and tar men, Is. 4Jd. ;■ tool sharpeners,-Is. 4Jd.; anyjnan working on any; Vfaco" where .a'life-lino is required, Is. 4Jd.; concrete workers, 'Is. * 4{d.: labourers not hereinbefore specified, Is. 3Jd. . - EMPLOYERS' OBJECTIONS. Mr. W. Pryor/ '.for .Hho';'cmp)oyersi: ; piade Several general objections to the union's claims. The union asked for a general labourers' award to apply to city, suburbs, and country, but there was a general labourers' award already ; in existence for the city, and suburbs. Tho .union also asked for'conditions - in respect • of builders'- labourers, but there, . l; was,.-,fi. separate, builders'- labourers', union and an award .affecting these workers., . already ,m. existence, for tho. n city and , suburbs. Ho. urged ihat it was''.npt. proper, t0.., make , new regulations'f6r .these-classes, who. wore already covered by awards. . The .union wished further Ho- take" in'Mmongers; and manure; workers, but they were quito distinct fronr ' general-labourers, aiid were already under anaward of their own. The Conciliation Board in the present case had struck the freezing companies off the list, and also exempted them. He did not know why it had done hoth. vi"; His HQnopr; pointed out .that if, the partips, .were exempted, as well as struck off the list, they could not be added as parties afterMr." Pryor: Then that strengthens my 'contention. .< -'-V • '. THE UNION'S REPLY. ; Mr. M. J. Reakon, in reply,'stated tliat the Builders' -Labourers' -Union;- and' award had no jurisdiction beyond a-20-miles'- radius of the cityV and tho union was merely asking for an-award to operate outside that - area. iWith regard A to„ the. objection . against, fcllmongers'and others coming under the award, he stated that th&Waitara General labourers' Award had ployees f6r partly, ■ \ V ... r; Mr. Pryor: It Is-a freezing works award, miscalled. . . .. - . Mr'. Reardon said he could not understand : ' .why theJ Conciliation-Board had granted , an _ exemption to.; the: fkeezing; companies. V In answer to his'Hoiiour, Mr: Pryor said that it would prejudice the freezing works r employers if an order were made joining them to-the dispute, and the., case were discussed ori'its merits at that stage., ,The companies hoped that if they wero not added to this award, their employees would combine to form <51 ...separate union,. ■y£or,.whiph l cial award could'be mixdo: ■ was" pare'd to-go on with tho case at that stage, as tho employers had not yot considered it. His Honour said that the Court could not force tho employers, case that day if they "wero 'not to" 'do so. ' Mr. Reardpn- S said he-wpuld.;notf l object 1 ,.to l tho case being taken, later on,' beforo the ■ Court left the Wellington' distript'. ' . Mr. Pryor said that ho would have no opportunity to go intq the case thon, ras.the Court was occupying'all his time. .The Court made an order attaching the freezing companies to the dispute". " "' EXEMPTION OF, LOCAL BODIES. Mr. Pryor asked that local bodies should be struck off " tho list of parties cited; ' He ' thought that the Court had never yet- in-„. eluded county councils , and road boards in awards. Ho submitted that municipal bodies wero governmental to a greater 'or less degree. 'They were not in business in the ordinary sense of tho word, and they ' .wero not;,in tho :samovposition' asVordinary; employers. .Their employees > did =ndt- ; require the Court's protection in tho sahie way as . other workers. : They wero protected by public sympathy and influence, and if-a local' body did' not treat its men.jn ,a proper manner its members would-soon hafp''to'.:;g6' f put.. It was a. question, of vptesi'iaU' tho ''time,land'' the terms of 'fnumcipal bodies wore already prejudicial towards other employers. Councils,' wprb making ndiculdus' agreements with their men, and'ho' subiiiitted ■ that other employers should .not- bo-,preju-diced through their, example: 1 -' ■>■■■■. A- : Doslro of yote-Catohfng. The Court know, ,';.continuod Mr.' .'Pryor, . that at general and mayoral elections-things had! been' given as vote'kiatcherS. That sort t of?,.things,.was'ibeodmihg§fc general scandal, .and .he asked. jiublio bodies should be stiycklist of parties cited. " His Honour that local bodies Wero'fixoitipt'Jby tho Court's awards; • ,-"j Mr. Pryor said that ;that;was 'a,, question for a lawyer to discuss, ®.ut>he.>l)&lieved that they wore TO^tlioilgMt''that Sir. Justice Chapman htd/'.bnto •Rivcn'.'a"-deelsi# to that effect. Councils and.-tho, Unemploved. ;■ A still more serious'fobjection'to tho join- ■' ing of local bodies was in reference to unemployed difficulties.' .; Throughout the *Do- . minion . during reccnt:>;;rtoiithi, the,','uriomV, ployed difficult;., liadTljeori l felt. Undoubtedly during ono .po'rtioiV* of---the year there was considerable uistress 'of 'that kind, and at ttfe present tihio there were moro general labourors out of work than had- been the .case at this season for some . years. > If'local bodies were brought under-.'rigid ftward ; v'conditions, which might be mado : ; itj.ore-,6tringent later on, ho asked what they ■ would do in periods when there Wft3.6(Sriotii ; 'laok of employment. ~ They might,bo ifcompelleilV in bid' seasons, to find-;work "for"Tom,; Disk',"aj;d Harry, when . it- Was not a;"questiqn, 6f qualification, but of 'need, : fourteen "or fifteen years ago the distress was such, that,, relief works: had to • be started, arid- ; w6rk: was found for ineif at'4s.' and 6s! a'"day, '9o that they should not eat. tho bread of char-,, ity. Ho hoped-that buch a time-wotild not occur again, but liQ'.submitted that -tho.local bodies should be kept clear of tho-:Arbitra-tion Court's awards, so that if there 'was'a repetition of the distress they should havo a free hand to give relief. . ~ Mr. Reardon stated that tho Hiitt Borough Council and ; otl)er > local bodies lliid: 'b'eth joined to an a Ward, Tho .Logal Aspeot. , ... Mr. S. Brown poinUKl out that local, bodies themselves, inchlding the Wellington City Council, nad not risked to' be awards. Ho nskcd why public bodies did not challenge thevright to bring them (under

awardsi ►•.JThe-~Anckland Education Board ',ha"d dd'no so. jTucSessfully. "'Mr.-"Pryfir:"Tho qilfcstion may bo raised now. I bavo .boon in correspondonco 011 tho qubject.';. ; An objection was also raised by Mr. Pryor that Abraham and Williams. Ltd., of Palthe only employers of stdiometi .'Cited. .''Thd. Court in Christchurch had declined to allow storemen to bo joined to tho labourers' award. ' His Honour' said 'that' tho Court could not : dcoide""' off-hand -V" whether local . bodies should bo.added.;,.They,'had been included in tjip\pas,,,ai].d.. : ]'f, l any u chango was made it must bb after very careful consideration. _ In reply to Mr. : Pryor, his Honour said that.tho'i.quostion-was not necessarily whoJhor./the,Court,should.,include all local bodies 1 all?:., jt. might uso its dis- ..... Mr. iPryor stated that no county council had.been -included; previously. With regard to Mr. Reardon's statement that where other awards existed tho now award would not' bo required to cover tho same ground,'-. Mi> Pryor said that the application was for an inward covering tho whole district. If a ; now "award was granted on that .understanding it'.wpuld place employers m a *venr,-.aw.kward.'PDsition. ■ , . ..':.-:His HoAour; said , : that: the separate jurisdictions of the awards would bo carefully defined, ; « ■*>( EVIDENCE FOR THE UNION. Evidence was then called in support of tjie' union's claims. Henry Vogelf-iiv-oharge of the cooling works of Company, ''said that all tho there, were, called' assistants, not«lab6urers. It 'would. tako !ah ordinary lalibur.&! ofie to get into the work. Ih'd.r'&si&ipfa. in his department .received. Bs. work- of eight- or eight.and a;rh^]fi ; boUr|.'''Overtime was paid -for-'at tho rate^oJ'lsUdd.-an .'hour. It was lighter .general -labourers. ;Ho'thought , Sh'Stithc> r ,jii6 , n- were-well-paid-for. .the n?ork ■ V Samuel . of tho fellmongery deparJmentkoSriTio Gear. Company ; at Pe'toive, saiaStliat^ffitiJo^inen. got.-1 s.;- 3d., an hour,'and ossg!^«rji;from 15.,, to .Is:, .3d. In his -was • made for overtime. had to handle pdrisliing by-pfodifttji^lind, ; they could not Cohtrol their tiino. Edward Comer, employed by tho Gear Company, and'"Charles-Fynes, employed by tho City-Cotanciiy»'al&'-gave.evidence for tho union: i The- -hiring pf;lbe~caso was then adjourned J'uritil September'ls,; at Napier.