BRICKLAYERS' PAY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 18, 16 October 1918, Page 7

BRICKLAYERS' PAY

AN T INCREASE SOUGHT,

The Wellington bricklayers' dispute was considered by a Court of Conciliation yesterday. Mr. \V. Newton presided. The employers' .'gent was Mr. AV. A. AV. Grenfell, .and their assessors were Messrs. H. Mainland, AY. H. Bennett, and Gr. Ilansford. Mr. 11. Hanton was the union agent, and the union assessors were Messrs. A. Laminon, G.Bodell, and It. Newman. The chief clause in dispute was that covering wages. The wage awarded the bricklayers at present is Is. 7-} d. per hour, and the demand of ihe i. nion is for 2s. The employers asked for the present rate to lie awarded again. The ur.ion requested 2s! a day extra for foremen, and also asked for extra pay for men doing hot and dirty work, and for more pay . for apprentices. Exemption was agreed to for city corporation employees who lay kerb stones, etc. Mr. Bennett then stated that he had been requested by the building trade to make a general objection to the wholo of the new proposals in the demand. Unless it could be shown that conditions in the Dominion had so i.ltered as to make alteration necessary, the present award should _ not be tampered with. He also objected to the continual dragging of local bodies before tlie council in an endeavour to get them bound by conditions the Court said they should not be lonnd by. He asked the other side to get at 01100 to the question of wages and war bonus, and allow the.rest to stand for another term. The cost of living had altered, and tho employers' representatives were quite willing to discuss that matter. Mr. Mainland also said that the conditions of labour should not bo brought up year after year. Mr.Lemmon said that most of the conditions that- the representatives of the employers objected to (oncerned the financial side. It was surely not suggested that if thf> union bad discovered any anomalies they should not seel; to have matters rectified. Mr. Hantnn: "If the assessors on the other side are in a conciliatory spirit we have the means st hand of arriving at an agreement before lunch." Me added that in Chrislcluiroli the union had secured an agreement on the lines of the new demands. On tlie suggestion of the Commissioner the council then proceeded to go through ■ the demands dause by clause. Before the council rose agreement was reached on most of (he noints at i'-sue. AVagos were not settled, but the employers made an offer which file union representatives agreed to refer back to their executive.