CARPENTERS' DISPUTE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1170, 4 July 1911, Page 2

CARPENTERS' DISPUTE.

A NEW AWARD. LAHGELY FOLLOWS THE OLD ONE. Tho award of the Arbitration Court' in tho Wellington carpenters' and joiners' dispute was tiled yesterday. Hours of Work. Forty-five hours, states the award, shall constitute an ordinary week's work, 8J hours to be worked on five days of each week between tho hours of 7.15 a.m. and 5 p.m., and hours t'o be worked on Saturdays between the hours of 7.15 a.m. and 12 noon. Wages. The minimum wage for journeymen carpenters and joiners is to bo Is. 4{d. per hour. All wages are to lie paid weekly, and shnll be paid to the workmen not later than fifteen' minutes after leaving off work. Piecework. Piecework is prohibited except in respect of stair-building. Overtime and Holidays. All time worked outside, or in excess of the hours mentioned above shall csunt as overtime, and shall be paid for at the rate, of time and a quarter for the first two hours, lime and a half thereafter up to 10 p.m., and double time between 10 p.m. and the ordinary time for commencing work next morning iT worked continuously. Workmen required to commence between fi a.m. and the ordinary time for commencing work shall be paid at tho rate of time and a quarter.; 'For work done on Sunday. Xew Year's Day, Good Friday, F.aster Monday, Labour Day, Christinas Day, and lioxing Day, double time. Under-rate Workers. Certain conditions .ire added for "un-der-rate" workers. These conditions provide for the giving of notice of tho employment of under-rate workers and the subsequent course to be followed, all un-der-rate permits except in cases of old ago or infirmity are to be for a period not exceeding six months, and no worker is to work at less than tho minimum wage for a longer period than 12 months,

Suburban Work. "'Suburban work," in the case of tho employers carrying 011 business in tho cily of Wellington, means work performed outside a radius of two miles from tho To Am Post Office, but. which does not come within the detinition of country work, and in (lie case of oilier employers coming within the scope of the award it moans work performed outside a radius'of two miles from the employer's place of business, but which does not come within tile definition of "country work" Workers who have to go beyond tho t\ro-inlie limit shall bo at their work at the limn, appointed, but shall be paid n t Iho rate of three miles an hour, travellimr by I he nearest road on foot. ]f city employers elect to pay tramway fare.«, Ihe.v shall be calculated from Hie tramway Miction end nearest the To Aro Post Office, and most convenient to tho work. Country Work. "Country" work, in the case of Wellington employers is defined as work situated more than ten miles from the To Aro l'ost Office, or in other cases, work situated within ten miles of tho employers' place of business; also in casos ■ where the worker has to sleep away from home. In such cases the employee must bo conveyed at the employer's expense to and rom tlie work. Time occupied in travelling is to bo paid for at ordinary rates. Journeymen required to sleep awav from home, ,'in additional allowance of 2d. per hour for time worked is to be made them, and tents or sleeping accommodation ana to bo provided. Apprentices. Apprentices are to be paid not less than tho to lowing :-First year, Bs. per week; second year, 12s. Gd.; .third year, Vf- 1 6 „ d - i !.T Ul >•«", £1 35.; fifth year! J.l Ids. the proportion of apprentices to journeymen shall not exceed ono to every three Journeymen or tho portion of three. Tho period of apprenticeship is to bo live years, but three months' probation is to bo allowed tho employer to deterimiKV the apprentice's-fitness, such three months to lie included in tho period of apprenticeship. No boy is to serve .1 probation with more tlian two employers. Other minor provisions are also contained. Preference. Preference for. members of the union is provided for. The old clause is substituted by another which will relievo tho union of tho obligation of keeping au employment book, and the emplovers of tho duty of consulting sucli a book. If an employer employs a non-unionist ho has to give notice in writing to tho sco-ret-ary of tho union. Exemptions. Exemptions from tho terms of tho award are allowed in tho case of tho Union Steam Ship Company, tho Gear Meat Company, and tho Wellington Meat Export Company, provided they pay not less than tho wages fixed by the award, nnd the overtime rales. The award is limited to employers engaged in-business within a radius of 25 miles of the To Aro Post Office. Its provisions do not apply to wharf building, bridge-building, or shipbuilding. The award is to come into force on July 17, 1911, and continue in force till December 31, 1912. Memorandum. In a memorandum' Mr. Justice Sim says that tho hours (45 hours per week) aro. tho samo as in the last award (tho union asked for 40 per week); The minimum wage (Is. 41d. per hour) is the rate fixed recently nt Auckland (union demand, Is. Bd. per hour).