CONCILIATION COUNCIL

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 54, 28 November 1923, Page 4

CONCILIATION COUNCIL

BUILDERS AND GENERAL LABOURERS’ CLAIMS.

The Conciliation Council. Mr. W. Newton (Commissioner) presiding, sat on Monday to deal with claims lodged by the Builders and CenorST Labourers’ Union for a now award. The assessors were: For the union, Messrs. C. Gore, J. M. Campbell, J. Read. For th® employers, Messrs. IV. Parker, A. Fletcher, G. McLean. Mr. W. Grenfell acted as agent for the employers. The claims for wages (the rates in the old award’ wore put in by the employers as counter-claims, and are shown in jwirentheses) were:—Building trades labourers, 2s. 4d. per hour (Is. 9Jd.); other labourers, 2s. (Is. 83d.); tunnel-work, experienced men, 2s. 4d. ( (Is. 10? d.); other tunnel labourers. 2s. (Is. 10fd.); quarry workers, certified men using explosives, 2s. 4(1. (Is. BJd.); drillmen, etc.. 2s. 3d. (Is. B}d.): others, 2s. (Is. S-Jd.); tarworkers, 2s 2d. (Is. BJd.); youths up to 17 years, .£1 7s. (.£1 55.) ; up to IS, .£1 13s. (£1 10s.): up to 19, Jll 19s. (Jll 17s. Gd.): up to 20. £2 ss. (.£2 55.). Other union claims (with the employers’ proposals in parentheses) were:— Hours. 44 weekly (44 and 47); hours in wet places or foul air, 6 daily (6); overtime. time and a lin'f first three hours, double time thereafter; holidays, New Year’s Day, Good Friday. Easter Monday, Labour Day, King’s Birthday, Anzac Day, Christmas and Boxing Day: work on Good Friday, Christmas Dav and Sunday, double time; on other holidays, time and a half.

Mr. Sanderson appeared on behalf of the freezing companies, and asked for exemption from the award. No objection was made and the reauest was granted. A discussion took place on the hours of work. Mr. Grenfell said that he was agreeable to 44 hours as a week’s work for builders’ labourers, but so far as other work was concerned, such as the Kilbimie tunnel, it was robbing both the contractor and the men to reduce the hours to .44. He cited the new Hutt Road as an instance where it would bo unfair to curta'l the hoars Mr. Fletcher romari'-od that if their men were nsked to work n.'\ic hours they jumped nt it. As tho award was to cover a 25-mile radius it would be i nfair to enforce city conditions. Drivers worked 48 honrs, and if the labourers with them wore only required to work 44 honrs. it would be extremely awkward. It was decided to agree to the hours as in tho old award, viz. 44 for builders’ lab-mre'-s and 47 for ot’-ers. Tho old award was agreed to, with tho exception of tho clauses relating to rates of pay. asphalt and tar workers, overtime. quarry explosive workers. Exli-n pay for country workert), 10. fid. a day. was agrc*d to.