FLAXMILL HANDS

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 301, 20 September 1928, Page 14

FLAXMILL HANDS

QUESTION OF YOUTHS’ WAGES The Court of Arbitration was recently asked by ihe inspector of awards to determine the following questions under the Wellington IlnxniiJls employees’ award, dated June 28. 1927: (1) Can a youth (between the ages of 15 and 21 years) be employed under clause 5 at a weekly wage to do such work for which only a piecework rate of wages is iixed under clause 4 (f) of the award; or (2) is the employment of youths at the weekly Wages provided in clause 5 restricted only to those operations for which a weekly or an hourly payment is in-escribed by clause 4? The Court answered the ijuestions as follows:— Question Xo. 1 : “The particular work in respect of which the present question has arisen is automatic scutching. The award (clause 4 t) provides only for piecework rate being paid for this work. Time-rates are provided for a number of specified operations, of which automatic scutching is not one. The Court is of the opinion that, as the award stands, automatic scutching can be performed only at piecework rates. It necessarily follows that, as adults may not be employed on that work at: time-rates, youths may not be so employed. “The question before the Court was purely a matter of interpretation. It appears, however, that automatic scutchers <)f the type now in use at Jliranui Haxmill were not in general use when the award was framed. If. as a matter of fact, the present type of machine is less likely to become obstructed than its predecessor, and accordingly requires loss expert attention and can treat more fibre in an equivalent period of time, it is open to the parties to agree on special rates (cither time-rates or piecework rates, or both) for the men operating it. and. in default of agreement, to apply to the Court to fix a rate or rates. It is also competent for the parties to deal with the matter of separating the operation of pressing from that of automatic scutching, as has already been done in the case of hand scutching. They may also deal, with the question of fixing a special rate for scutcher operators in cases where a worker is employed to stack the fibre in a position handy to the scutcher, or to assist the scutcher operators in other ways. It is open to the parties to suggest amendments that will be applicable generally, or. if necessary, applicable to the special circumstances of a particular mill or mills.” Question Xo. 2: “'rhe Court prefers to answer this question in a somewhat different form from that in which it is submitted. The Court is of the opinion that youths tnay be employed at weekly wage rates on any operations for which piecework rates are not exclusively provided.”