CONCILIATION COUNCIL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 241, 6 July 1920, Page 6

CONCILIATION COUNCIL

TIMBER YARD AND SAWMILL WORKERS' DISPUTE.

The Wellington timber yard and sawmill workers' dispute was before the Conciliation Council yesterday. Mr. W r . Newton (Conciliation Commissioner) presided, nnd tho assessors were: For the union, Messrs. J. Read, A. G. Wilkinson, and W. Donaldson; for the employers, Messrs. W. Hipkirk, M. ,T. Quirk, and G. Cook. Mr. W 7 . A. W. Grenfefl noted as agent for the employers. Tito union's! demands included a 425hour week, in plnce of the present 40-hour week, and a new wage system. The piesent system is arranged en an hourly basis, but tho union asked for a specified weekly wage according to the classification of' tho workers. The waqes asked were as follow:—First-class machinist, ,£5 15s. per week; second-class machinists, £& 3s. 6d. per week; first sawyer, «£5 15s, per week; second sawyer, X 5 per week; tailer-out (<?n.w), ;E5 per week; first-class boxaiaker, £h Bs. per week; boxmaker, £5 per week; coopera, £!i' 15s. per week; head ynrdmnn, ,£G per week; yardman, £"> 3s. Gd. per week; yard labourers, .£4 12s. per week; ensual labourers, 2s. per hour.

The union asked that the award should come into force as from April 1, 11)20, and continue for one year.

Owing to the fact that there were no country representatives among the employers' assessors, it was decided to limit tho day's'' deliberations to conditions of work in the city and about tho city within a radius of 25 miles.

Referring to the fact that the union asked for a change in the waee system, Mr. Read said that many of the men in tho trade had worked in no other sphere of labour during their life. In asking for the change, tho union was merely asking for a security of tenure. The increased wages for which the uninon asked would bring the rates up to a. pre-war basis.

Several minor matters were agreed upon, but the questions of waecs and hours have yet to be settled. They will bo further discussed to-day.