FOR SHEARING SHEDS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1087, 28 March 1911, Page 2

FOR SHEARING SHEDS.

AWARD FILED, TITE NEW HOURS AND PAY. Tho Arbitration Court's award in Iho dispute between the Wellington Shearers' Union and the Hnwke's Bay; Wellington, Wanganui, Wairarapa, and Manawatu Shoepowners' Union lias been "filed n'ith the Registrar. It provides as follows;— Rates of Pay, Minimum rates: Pressors and woolrollers, when engaged by tho week, 30s; when not engaged by tho week, Is. per hour. All other shed hands, when engaged by the week, 275. Gd.; when not engaged by the week, ltd. per hour. A pressor may ongago on piecework rate, this rate to be agreed upon with his employer, but so that ho shall (in any event) bo paid at not less than the minimum hourly wage herein specified for the timo actually worked by him. Cooks, 355. 'per week; cooks' assistants, 275. (id. Each worker shall bo provided with rations by his employer. In any case, where it is agreed betv;een the employer and tho worker that the worker shall provido his own rations, the latter shall be paid 15s. per week, in addition to the rato specified. I'ouths and Maori females under tlio ago of 18 may bo employed at not less than 20s. per week, with board and lodging. Any worker who has agreed to work for an employer, and who docs not prosent himself for work at the appointed time for starting, shall (unless sufficient reasons are given) be deemed to have committed a breach of tho award, and shall be'liable accordingly, Onco in each week, on a day to lie named at the commencement of the shearing, the employer shall, at the request of any shed hand or cook, pay him any sum not exceeding 75 per cent, of the amount duo to him. If the employment terminates before the finish of the shearing, owing to illness or accident, or through illness in the worker's family, or other such urgent cause, the worker shall be paid in full. Rations. Whore rations are to be provided by tho employer, sufficient food of good quality shall bo supplied to the workers. IMs shall include jam. and not less than lib. of butter per weik for each worker. General Provisions. ; .The employers shall find free grazing (if required) lor olio horse for each shedhand, No worker shall be absent from work without leave, except on .proper and reasonable grounds, nor shall he bring any intoxicants on to the employer's* premises. Any shed-hand may bo required bv his employer to fill in time wlnle ordinary shearing operations dre suspended, by doing work in or about the shed or pens, although such work may not bo the particular work which ho ha'd been engaged to do. Nothing in. the award shall be deemed to, apply to members of' employers' families, or permanent employees,' or -children of Maori pareutago under 16 years of age. Nothing in tho award shall interfere with the employers' right to let work by contract. If any question shall arise as to any matter not provided for by this award, such question shall bo settled by agreement between the particular employer concerned and the. local representative of tho union appointed for that purpose, and, in default of any such agreement, the question shall bo determined by tho stipendiary magistrate for the district. I ending the settlement of any such question, work shall go on as usual, and tho settlement or decision may be made to operate retrospectively.

In Case of Strikes. The union shall do nil in its power to prevent any strike, by any of the workers affected by the award, 'and, if any strike occurs in which any members of the union take part, such strike shall be prima facio evidence that the .union lias committed a breach of its duty hereunder. If any strike, by any of the" workers aftected by the award, occur, then tho operations of all tho provisions contained in tho foregoing clauses of tho award shall be suspended, and, in lieu thereof, tho following provision shall come into force, and remain in force until the further order of the Court;— ; "The hours of work, wages, arid other conditions of work for all workers coming within the scope of this award shall bo fixed by agreement between each employer, and the individual worker employed by him. Tho Court reserves leave "to any party bound by the award to apply for an order under this clause declaring that a strike has taken placo or bringing into force after a slriko has taken place the provisions contained in the foregoing clauses." Xo employer shall, in the engagement or dismissal of men, discriminate against members of the union, nor do anything for the purpose of injuring the union, directly or indirectly. Nothing in the award shall interfere with the right of nny employer to discharge any shed hand at any timo for such incompetence or misconduct as would Jl'stify such discharge under general law. When members of the union and nonmembers are emploj-ed together, there shall be 110 .distinction between them, and both shallwork together in harmony, and shall rcceive equal pay for equal work. Terms of the Award. The provisions of the award will continue in force until any change is mado hy tho Legislature in any of tho conditions fixed by, the award. On such chaiigo being made nil-the'foregoing provisions shall cense to operate, and thereafter during the, term of the award the following provisions shall be 111 force:— Subjbct to any legislative provisions on the subject, the hours of work, wages, and other conditions of employment of all workers coming within tl'lo scope of this award shall bo fixed by agreement between each employer and the individual workers. The award is to come into force on May I,' 1911, and is to continue in force until January 31, 1911. A memorandum attached by the Court states that the award is supplementary to that made by the Court 011" September 21, 1910. The principal Question in dispute was as to-the rate of nay for shed hands and cooks, and these have been fixed by the Court.