ARBITRATION COURT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 672, 24 November 1909, Page 8

ARBITRATION COURT.

v•;"::. THe'oTAGO BNGINEIDBiyEE&"■ : IBjl'clpEraDh.-I'rojii- Ao'aoclailon.r \' ' : ■ - ■■ ■ ■' ; , : ' iDun'edin, Novemoer 23. At the Arbitration Court. to-day; the enginedrivers' dispute was taken; ■'. Mr.'. Breon, . for the union, explained that, the -union had .no intention of going;into all;the merits of. tho case, and desired to ask leave to withdraw .tho claims and substitute. the latest, a\\;ard in the: engine-driving business—the 'Canterbury enginedrivers' award made .oh-February. 20.V...The: only,reason why the unibriiwanted to substitute the Canterbury award was. because it: contained the very. thing they sought, _viz., payment for: getting upj steam: in; the morning.. The o.tago Union was quite prepared to.take ;its own award with the inclusion of the payment mentioned.. ) 'It\was..riot.,fair.' that the workers should be called upon to do. something for no-' thing. He contended,'that' tho men' worked' 312' hours a year for nothing, and he believed that a conference would enable, the parties to effect a settlement. :If the. omployors paid for holidays (sixty-three hours), which would, still leave 219. hours in favour of the employers, the unionwould 1 accept the; award, and, that would settlo tho .'whole thing. V. ... ; Mr. Pryor said that the employers could not agree to the men beilig paid time when occupied in gottihg up steam. ■ Hoi contended that conditions had not altered, aud. tho onus of .proof ,to show' that an .alteration, had taken place rested with tho union.. Employers for whom he-asked oxemption wore' the Union Company, the Taieri : arid Ponirisula Dairy Company; the Otago Dock Trusty tho Christchurch Meat Company, the Diinodin City Corporation (so .far 'as clectric'light.power plant was concerned), the Dunedin Hospital Trustees,, the Otago Iron Rolling.- Mills, (already working under an; agreement), tho Southland >Flax-. millers', Association, and. all ..employers' outside the Dunedin .district. ', ;,:':,." ",,, : '..,': .- Mr. Millor, .secretary, of /.the. Diinediri Hospital, showed that.';before : the trustees', were included as parties in the engine-drivers', award tho cost : of'.■ engine-driving • totalled £ili per annum.: :Now it "; 'The Court reserved, decision.'.".'.-,'..-