COMPOSITORS' WAGES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 56, 29 November 1919, Page 7

COMPOSITORS' WAGES

BIG INCREASES SOUGHT \ "A COVERT THREAT" The- Court of Arbitration yesterday hoard tho application of the Nsw Zealand . Federated Typographical Association for an inoreaso in wages. Tihe Application wrb filed under the 'provisions of tho War Legislation and Stntuto Law Amendment Act, 1918, and the special grounds upon ivhich it was based ivere stated to bo "tho unsatisfactory nature of tho agreement dated March 7, 1919; increased cost of living; prosperous eoiiditioh of tho industry; improved conditions granted to typographers in other Dominions and countries— notably Great Britain, South Africa, and America—coatrastod with the small advance iii New Zealand; increases in wages and improved conditions granted to other skilled and unskilled occupations in New Zealand, and all other relevant considerittions." Tiho federation invited the Court to make three amendments, described in tho following terms: "(1) That the war bonus provided by the award of March li, 1917, and subsequently amended by an order of the Arbitration Court dated March 7, 1919, increasing tlie said bonus by 7s, 6d. per Week, shall bo further amended, by the addition of £2 2s. lid. pe.r week to the amounts already stated, with proportionate increase, to the day or hourly wages provided for under he award and amending order; (2) to add a new clause to the award, as subsequentIt amended, .repealing all overtimo charges provided therein, and substituting (ihrougihout 'rate and a half, calculated on the combined wages and bonus'; (3) adding a. further neiv clause to the award providing for the payment of a bonus of 30 per cent, oil tho earnings of all piece-workers.'"

Mr. A. D. Bobbie appeared for the applicant union, and Mr. F. Pirani for the .employers. Mr. Itobbie said that sinco the case itiis ihentioned last iveek a conference had been held, but bwiiig to the fact tnali the dispute waa a Dominion one, it hiul not beon possible for an agreement t6 be arrived at with the Wellington employers. The Court would therefore have to hear the dispute. llr. Eubbie submitted that the typographers' wages, from being among the highest, faid .to skilled workers in New Zealand, had fallen to be among the lowest. The present difficulties of tilio union were due t(> the weakness of those who had, formerly borne office in it. The organisation had been officered largely by persons who were on tho Verge of retiremerit and who had a weakness for valedictory speeches. This had gono on till the. \ihipn, had wakened up. The occupation had been underpaid for a great part of the war period. He rend to tho Court a lengthy history, of hours and wages iii the trade in the Old County. Only oiie New Zealand establishment employing many hands, ho stated, paid its typograpliefts for sickness. That eatablishfnent wiis the Government Printing Office. The reason of tho discontent prevailing among the New Zealand printers was thai) they wero not getting the benefits fihat had been won elsewhere. T-he typographers in Great. Britain had, "without fighting, and without friction," got the follfiwingi—A forty-eight hour week; wages nearly doubled (since 1914); payment tor statutory holidays; a six-day annual holiday, also with pay; an Industrial Council'on t>He lilies of the Whitley Report." New Zealahd and a part of America, appeared to be the only places retaining the bonus system. Elsewhere tile boilus had boeu merged in the permanent wage. In Japan, tho average iVage of typographers was the equivalent) Of i£6 ss. ni our money—"fivo shillings less," said Mr. Bobbie, "than we are asking of our whito employers.'" Evidehce was called by tiho union, Tho Employers' Case. Mr. Pirani said that it seemed to him there was a- good deal of tiino being wasted on tho ease. He would liko somo indication of how wide the scope of the inquiry Was to bo. No" reference had been made by the union to the only country that could fairly be compared with New Zealand in the matter of compositors' wages. The only Australian figures ho could find at hand were for Queensland, where the cost of living was liipn est, and wliero tho workers were getting nothiiig liko wi)iat tho New Zoaland Union was asking. The union repiesentativo had not brought to the notice of the Court the fa6t that from January 1 next the liours in tho printing tradein all_ sections not only composing, but bookbinding, etc.—woula ho reduced from 4.8 hours per week to 45. In reply to Mr. Kobbie's criticism of former officials of the union, Mr. Pirani claimed that the demands of the men could not have been more strenuously urged before tho Court) than they hod been in tho past. Tho employers were willing to give consideration to tho employees on account of the increaso ill tho cost of living since tihe agreement of March, but Uhe difficulty was created by tho union's, pleading "other relevant' . considerations."

A "Final Appeal." Mr. Bobbie said that he would explain to tho Court why he' had not tjuoted Austral'ia. The principal reason was that Australian conditions were the result of compulsory arbitration. Tho conditions that the union had quoted were the result of "ordinary commercial, collective bargaining." The union had brought tins present application in order to see whether tho. Court would grant ouch an increase in wages ns would justify tho typographer.; in approaching the Court iigain in March (when the award would cxp : rc). He submitted that the Court could "remedy the present conditions of the trade," as well under the application ns under a now award. Tt was not duo to tho Court th,at tho trade wus "on Finch a low level at the present time." Thpre was. a strong feeling of disaffection among {ho employers!. They realised their strength. . . . They were mok-. ing this final appeal—ho folt it would lie n final appeal—to tho Court to remedy the position Whatever decision wna made by tho Court, lie would do hi; best to get the union t:> abide loyally by it. But there were small section?, some outside the federation,'who would lio affected by the decision of tho Court and whom the federation could not control. Jf the decision swmed ip the uuion a reasonable one—if it advanced the wtv;es tho d-8 per cent, that the cost of living had advanced—the employers could 'be satisfied that the union would continue to act under the compulsory arbitration system. Ho did not think the employees would bo worth call'ng men. hpwevor, if they,submitted to working for wages SO per crnt. lower, on the average, than those of tho Japanese grapheri).

Something to Laugh At? Mr. Pirani: In regard to my friend's covert threat that if tihe' award does n-:it satisfy them it is going to be their final apnea! to the Court, that' :'s a matter simply to laugh at. I guarantee that the majority of tho printers in Now Zealand are honest, honourable .men, and are not going to lie led by tho nose by anybody who threatens striko, for that i* what niv friend's statement practically anirMinl.i 10. i His rfonour Said tlint the Court might find itself I'mited to giving such increase in wages a,s was Uarrnntrd by .the increaso in the cost of living as disclosed by tho last statistics it had had furnished by the Government Statistic'an,' If tho Court came to that conclusion, thero would be no reason for delaying the decision to permit of evidence be:ng heard in other centres. "On the other hand," said His Honour, "if wo think the other matters brought boforo us by Mr. Hbbbio in his somewhat vigorous .assault upon the Court should bo considered, then, of course, -we should have to consider the ovidenco in other districts, because this is a Dominion award. . . I am not at all clear in my own mind that these aro 'relevant considerations' within tho meaning of the Act. But I make no determination until we liavo discussed the matter." The Court reserved decision.