TYPOGRAPHICAL DISPUTE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2953, 13 December 1916, Page 6

TYPOGRAPHICAL DISPUTE

CONCILIATION PROCEEDINGS CONCLUDED. Tho hearing before the Conciliation Council of the typographical dispute was concluded yesterday afternoon. As a result of the., sittings an agreement was reached on a large number of general and technical matters, thus simplifying the case to be presented; should the demands later reaoh' the Arbitration Court. Tho main claims by tho employers, with the workers' counter-claims given in parentheses, aro-as follow: —Machine wo^k; -18 hours per week (42); wages, linotype day operators on newspapers, £3 14s. (£4), night £4' 2s. (£4 10s.); day operators other than on newspapers £3 10s., night £3 165.; efficiency test, 8000 ens ot corrected matter an hour (6500). Piece-rates: 1000 ens with "fat," up to and including Bpt. 2fd., 9pt. 3d., 10pt._3Jd.; without "fat," Jd. extra; for night_ setting an additional smount such as is allowed for night work on the weekly wages (1000 ens up to and including brevier 3}d., bourgeois 3|<l.; long primer 4d., night operators l-10th more, piece-work not to be recognised on monotype, monoline, simplex, harotype, or typograph machines).' Saturday night special editions to be' paid for at piece-work rates or 2s. 6d. an hour, at the option of tho employer (9s. 6d. an hour with a minimum of 55.); overtime', time and a quarter (time and a half). Hand and jobbing work: Day workers in city £3 ss. (£3 155.); night, £3 10s. (£4 '55.); in sec-ond-grade towns, £3 and £3 65.; in third-grade towns, £2 15s. and £3; casual workers, first grade, 12s. a day (135.). second-grade, lis.; piece-work, Is. Id. per 1000 ens day and Is. 2d. night; hours, 48 per week (44). The union also claimed a minimum weekly wage of £4 for day work and £4 10s. for night work, for stone and bulk hands and correctors on newspapers. The porhts reserved for adjudication later are as follow:—Machine section— Classification of districts, rates of pay, probationers, efficiency speed, hours of *ork, overtime, apprentices' rates of pay and deductions therefrom for absence, and operators' work dockets. Hand section—Classification of districts, rates of pay, hours of work per day and per week, starting and finishing time., overtinie, apprentices' rates of pay and deductions therefrom for absence. In general conditions applicable to both sections—Deductions from wages for specified reasons, special arrangement with returned soldiers, and preference. At tho close of the sitting Mr. A. Sando moved a vote of thanks to tho Commissioner (Mr. W. H. Hagger), which was supported for the workers by Mr. Swift and carried by acclamation. Mr. Hagger briefly acknowledged tiie compliment, and referred to the fair spirit shown on both sides, and, expressed the. opinion that very valuable work had been done at the conference.

Further sittings are scheduled for Greymout.li and Nelson before Christmas, and at other centres after the New Year, and these will he followed by a final conference to endeavour to adjust matters, and avoid Arbitration Court proceedings.