ARBITRATION COURT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 335, 23 October 1908, Page 4

ARBITRATION COURT.

$ GENERAL LABOURERS' DISPUTE. SUMMARY 01' THB NEW AWARD. The award of tho Court of Arbitration with reference to the dispute between the General Labourers' Union of Workers and employers engaged in business outside thy city has been filed. It will come into force on November 2, and continue in operation until December 30, 1909. Following are the chief provisions:— Hours of Work and Wages. A full week's work shall consist of 4G hours, and the working hours shall bo between 7.30 a.m. and 5 p.m., except on Saturdays, when they shall be between 7.30 and noon. Labourers employed in connection with building operations shall receive not less than Ss. per day of 8 hours; in connection with the construction of scaffolds, not less than 9s. per day of S hours shall bo paid. Wages shall be paid weekly, in cash on the job within a reasonable time after work has ceased. Accommodation to enable labourers to change their clothes and have their meals must be provided, also sanitary accommodation.. The oonditions applicable to other classes are that the week's work shall not exceed <18 hours and shall be lixed by each emjployer to suit his particular business, but -sliall not exceed B.V hours on five days of the,week and 5J- on Saturdays. The hours , for tunnel work shall not exceed 8 per shift, with half an hour for crib time and six hours shall constitute a day's work when workers are working in wet places or in foul air. The wages shall he: Tunnel work: tun-nel-men and timber men, 10s. per slffi; all] other workers employed underground, 9s. , per shift; quarry work: powder men, hammer and drill men, and jumper men, is. Id. per hour; all other workers engaged in quarry work, Is. per hour; general work: labourers employed in concrete work, pick and shovel work, sewer work, kerbing and channelling work, laying and cleaning drains, and asphalt and tar work, Is. per hour. ■ Overtime, Holidays, and Employment of Youths. ; In every case a - worker shall bo entitled to be paid only for time actually worked by him. Overtime, shall bo paid for at the rate of time and a quarter for tho first two hours and thereafter at tho rate of time and a half. The following shall be tho recognised holidays:—Now Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day, the. Birthday of tho Sovereign, and Christmas Day. Work done on Good l'riday, (jnristmas Day, or on Sunday shall he paid for at the rate of double time. Work done on all oilier holidays shall be paid for at the rate of time and a half. Youths may be employed at not less than the following rates of wages:—Up to 17 years of age, 18s. per week; up to 18 years of age, £1 2s. per week; up to 19 years of age,. £1 Gs. per week; up to 20 years of ago, £1, 10s. per week; up to'2l years of a£e, £1 16s. per week. The proportion of youths shall not be moro than one to every five men employed. Youths under 21 years shall not bo permitted to bo shot-firers. Suburban and County Work. Workers employed shall bo at tho placo where tho work is to bo performed at tho hour appointed for tho commencement' of work, and workers engaged in Napier, Hastings, Palmerst-on North, Master ton, or Wanganui to perform any work moro than two miles distant from tho Chief Post Office shall bo paid for timo occupied in walking to and from such work beyond tho two miles, or they shall bo conveyed at tho cost of their employers, but no worker residing less than two miles by a convenient modo of access for foot jiassengers from the placo of work shall be entitled to tho allowance. All time walked shall bo allowed for at the r.ito of four miles per hour. , Where tho worker is employed in connection with building operations, ono milo and a half is substituted, for .'two 1 miles.- , Workers employed in connection with building operations on country work shall bo paid an additional Is. per day and travelling expenses. "Country work" is defined as work done at such a distance from tho employer's place of business that tho worker could not return to his own place of abodo on tho samo day. Travelling expenses should be paid onco only during tho continuanco of the work if tho work bo continuous and the worker is not in tho meantime recalled by his employer. Time occupicd in travelling shall bo paid for at tho ordinary rates, up to eight hours per day. Any employer and his worker may agree in respect of country work what hours other than those prescribed may be worked without payment of overtime, but so that not less than tho rate of wages stipulated are paid. All tools shall be supplied by tho worker. _ A clause relating to under-rato workers is inserted. Preference and Strikes. Preference is granted on tho usual terms. Nothing, however, shall prevent tho . continued employment of workers now in tho employment' of any employer, although such workers may not bo or become members of tho union: Tho union shall do all in its power to prevent any strike by any of tho workers affected .by this award, and if any strike shall occur in which any momber of the irnioii shall tako part, such striko shall bo prima facie evidence that tho union has committed a breach of its duty hereunder. If any striko by any of the workers affected by this award shall occur, then the operation of all the provisions of tho award sliall lie suspended; and in lieu thereof tho following -provisions shall come into force until -the further order of this Court, that is to say:— Tho hours of work, wages, and other conditions of work for all workers shall bo fixed by agreement between each employer and tho individual workers employed by him. Tho Court reserves leave to any party bound by this award to apply for an order declaring that a strike has taken place or bringing into force again after a striko has taken placo the provisions contained in tho award. Existing Contracts, Exemptions, and Scopo of Award. Tho award shall not apply to contracts entered into beforo tho hearing of tho dispute, and uncompleted.. All-county councils are oxemptcd from tho operation of the award. Tho award shall apply to all employers in tho industrial district outside tho area included within a radius of twenty miles from tho Chief Post Office in tho City of Wellington. When the wages of a worker coming within th 6 apparent scopo of the award have already been fixed by* an award of Court or by an industrial agreement, tho award shall not apply. Memorandum. In a memorandum tho Court observes:— "Tho union included in its demands claims on behalf of certain workers employed in tho works of tho meat-freezing companies, such as painters, fleshors, and freezing-chamber hands. It appears to us that workers such as tlioso can scarcely bo described as general labourers. If tho union desires to obtain an award on bohalf of these workers it will havo to amend its rules so as.to provido that such workers may bccome members of tho union. With regard to tho scopo of tho present award, attention is drawn to what was said' by tho Court in conncction with tho interpretation of tho Wellington (City) General Labourers' Award. Tho present award deals specifically with building-trade labourers. It is intended to apply also to workers employed by local bodies, contractors, and quarry owners, and to workers employed by other employers when doing work similar 'to that do-no by local bodies, contractors, and quarry owners. Mr. M'Cullntigh does not concur to tho exemption of county councils from this award." !