ARBITRATION COURT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2503, 2 July 1915, Page 7

ARBITRATION COURT

TWO AWARDS A LANGUISHING INDUSTRY The award of the Court of Arbitration iu the dispute between the Amalgamated Society of Engineers and the Wellington employers has been filed with the' Clerk of Awards (Mr. G. S. Clark). The award is one of a series, tlie combined effect of which will opei ate as a Dominion award in connection witli the engineering industry. Coining into force on July W next, the award will operate for a term of. two years; It provides for a week of 47 hours, witTi wages at the rate of Is. -iid. per hour, The Court's preference clause has been included, with an additional provision granting members of the Marine Engineers' Institute . equal preference for work done on ships: Tlie Court expressed regret that the two organisations should, have failed to come to some amicable arrangement in this matter. A memorandum attached to the award said, inter alia; ' 'The Court regrets that it has been unable to see its way to increase tho rate of wages. . . . The Court recognises that t'he engineering trade is one calling for a very high de-. gree of skill on the part of the workers, and that, if tlie conditions were the same, the minimum rate of wages should be at least equal to that- obtaining in these other trades. The evidence, however ... . and the statistical information produced, lias forced' the Court to tlie conclusion that the . engineering trade throughout the Dominion, in most of its branches, is in a languishing condition due largely to the severity of the competition with imported manufactures, in these circumstances tlie Court does not- think it would be justified in -increasing the minimum rate of' Is.. 4Jd.' per hour, as fixed by the former awards. Nor, in the opinion of the Court, would it be in tlie best interests of .tho workers as a whole to do so, as the result would probably be that the increased cost of the local production of many articles would be such that competition with imported goods'could no longer be maintained; the local manufacturers would be obliged to restrict their operations, and fewer workers would be required. It will be noted that in the present award the Court has not repeated the provisions in the former awards to the effect that employers were not bound to pay the minimum rate for 'stock catalogue work.' The Court, after careful consideration, came to the conclusion that this description was so indefinite and ambiguous . . . that it ought not to be retained in tlie present award." BOILERMAKING TRADE. The Boilermakers' Award, which has also been filed by the Court, comes into force ou July 19, and remains in force for' 1 two years. Exemption has been granted to the Wellington Harbour Board, Wellington Gas Company, Gear Meat Company, and Wellington Meat Export Company,'. provided the board and the companies mentioned observe the clauses as to wages and overtime. The award stipulates that the week's work shall consist of 47 hours,- with wages at the rate of ls..4Jd. per hour. In the memorandum attached to the award, tho Court says: "This award applies to the boilertpaking trade, which i 3 one of the branches of the engineering industry. The Court regrets that, for the reasons set out in the memorandum to the Engineers' Award, it is unable to increase the minimum rate of wages fixed by the former award in this industry for competent boilermakers. The Court, however,-has abolished the distinction made in the former award between 'first-class boilermakers' and 'ordinary boileraakers' which the Court thinks was invidious and has operated unfairly, The machinery clauses of the award have, as far as possible, been drawn in _ conformity with those in the Engineering Award. The preference clause is not in the form usually granted by the Court, but is one which the representative for the employers agreed to accept, and which the Court- has, therefore, not thought fit to alter." The preference clause referred to hy the Court is as follows:—"In the engagement of his workers the employer shall have the right to engage any worker he chooses, provided that within one week from the date of his engagement the worker shall become and remain a member of the union." The provisions of the foregoing clause shall operate only if and so long as the rules of the union shall permit any worker coming within tho scope of this award- of good character and sober habits to become a member of the union upon payment of an entrance fee not exceeding ss. upon a written application, without ballot or ■ other election, and to continue a member upon payment of subsequent contributions not I exceeding Ctl. per week.