IRON TRADES

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 284, 26 August 1922, Page 10

IRON TRADES

PAVING WAY FOR DOMINION AWARDS THE MOULDERS’ DISPUTE The iron trades’ disputes are being taken by the Conciliation Council in sections, and on Thursday it was the turn of the moulders. Mr. W. Newton (Conciliation Commissioner) presided, and the assessors were: bor the employers, Messrs. E. E. Stonebanks, James Cable, and D. Robertson, with Mr. IV. A. Grenfell as agent. For the Wellington Union, Messrs. J. berguson, F. Keene, and P. Mclndoe. The principal demands of the employers were :-Hours: Forty-seven hours to constitute a week s work cl hours to be worked on fave days and 44 hours on the day of the usual halfholiday. Overtime to be paid for at the ra'fe of limo and a quarter for the first two hours worked, and time and a half thereafter for the next two hours, and double time between then and the ordinary time commencing work next morning. Wages (nunimum): Journeymen moulders Is. Bdper hour, machine moulders is. t>4d. P< The main counter-claims of the union were:—(l) The ordinary working hours shall be forty hours per week of eight hours per day from Monday to Friday inclusive, the hours of starting and ceasing work to bo between 7.30 a.mand 5 p.m., with one break of not less than forty-five minutes for lunch; the wages of journeymen iron and brass moulders, steel moulders, plate moulders, machine moulders and covermakers shall be’ not less than 2s. odper hour; (3) all calls back to be paid at double time till the job is finishedMr. Grenfell explained that this was one of a series of disputes in the iron trade which were being heard m the various centres of the Dominion, and he did not look for a settlement on the main points, as it would not be prooer to Commit the other employers throughout the Dominion to anything they were not in agreement witli Air. Ferguson said the moulders wanted a Dominion award, and they could not understand the attitude of the employers in regard to it. ~ Mr. Stonebanks explained that their idea was to bring the conditions into line with those of the engineers. He coincided with Mr. Ferguson m regard to a Dominion award, and thought that wages and hours could be left with the Court, and the technical points could bo dealt with by a Dominion conference. A considerable amount of discussion took place in .regard to the cost of living, rents, and wages, without any agreement being come to at the morning sitting. In the afternoon the conditions for apprentices, except wages and proportion, were agreed to. Lighting, machinery, and under-rate workers were also agreed to. and the rest of the clauses were referred to the Court.

BOILERMAKERS AND ENGINEERS. Messrs. J. P. Fitzgerald, P. Brown, and P. E. Warner appeared for the workers at the hearing of the boilermakers 1 and engineers’ dispute, while Messrs. E. E. Stonebanks, Janies Cable, and D. Robertson represented the employers. The application for a new award was made by the employers, whoso demauds included .a 47-hour week, night shifts, and overtime at the rate of time and a quarter for the first two hours, time and a half for the next two hours, and double time thereafter. The wages offered were: Boilermakers. Is Bd. an hour, and when engaged on stock catalogue work, improvers were offered not less than Is. 6 Ad. an hour Apprentices: First year, 15s. j second year, 205.; third year, 255. ; fourth year, 305.; fifth year, 40s. Improvers were offered not less than Ib. 4£d. per hour for one year after serving apprenticeship. The employees’ counter-demands asked for a 40-hour week, eight hours a day Monday to Friday; minimum wages for journeymen, 3s. per hourleading hands, 2s. 6d. extra per sniff. Double time was asked for all overtime. The rates sought for apprentices were: First yeair t £1 10s. per week • secoxd year, £1 155.; third year, £2: fourth year, £2 10s.: fifth year, .£3 Agreement was only reached on the minor points, and the principal clauses were referred to the Arbitration Co art Tfis Council adjourned until to-day, when the motor workers’ assistants case, another section of the same dispute, will be taken.