NO AGREEMENT

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 10, 6 October 1932, Page 11

NO AGREEMENT

Conditions in Motor Trade /STILL NOT FINALISED Deadlock on Wages Issue EXAMINATION PROPOSAL Wages and conditions of work for motor mechanics were discussed in Conciliation Council yesterday when a rehearing of the Dominion dispute between employers and workers was begun. After a discussion lasting until the middle of the afternoon a deadlock was reached on the. wages question, and the meeting adjourned sine die. The parties to the dispute are the Amalgamated Engineering and Allied Trades (New Zealand Council) and the New Zealand Motor Trade Association and others. When conciliation proceedings took place at the end of Juue no agreement was reached and a month later the award lapsed. Yesterday’s meeting, presided over by the Commissioner, Mr. AV. Newton, was the outcome of a fresh application by the workers. The following assessors were present:— Employers.-—Messrs. J. F. Cousins (Wellington), E. J. M. Ferguson (New Plymouth), James Black (Dunedin), J. D. Broun (Wellington), F. B. Cadman (Auckland), G. A. Nicholls (Gisborne), and G. W. Tench (Christchurch). Employees.—Messrs. G. T. Thurston (Wellington), G. Fleming (Taranaki), A. J. Bice (Dunedin), J. Scorgie (Greymouth), A. Cronie (Nelson). W. Nichols (Christchurch), and R. Cowley (Auckland). Mr. Cousins conducted the employers’ case and Mr. A. Black was advocate for the workers. The employers’ proposals, which it was agreed should form the basis oil discussion, contained the following wages offer: — Minimum wages.—Motor mechanics, 1/10 an hour; assemblers, 1/S| au hour; improvers, 1/7 an hour lirst year, 1/8 an hour second year; iirst-year assistant, 12/6 a week; second-year assistant ±1 a week; third-year assistant, £l/a/- a week; fourtb-year assistant, £l/1-7“ week; fifth-year assistant, £2 a week. Advantage of Agreement. Reviewing the employers’ proposals, Mr. Black said many individual garage owners had told him they considered the wages offered to be too low. The absence of an award was bad for both employers and workers, as it enabled undercutting 'of prices and created “back-yard” garages, . besides bringing workers into competition with former employers. The workers could not agree to the employers’ offer regarding hours. Since the award bad lapsed, said Mr. Consins in reply, the association had asked individual employers whether or not they favoured continuing without an award. The majority bad expressed themselves as being in favour of a reasonable award, but a strong minority had been ready to go on without an award. However, the employers were prepared to come to a reasonable agreement, and their assessors had full powers to achieve that end. Since June the position in the trade bad not improved. It was true there were indications that things were about to improve, but the employers were not in a position to offer any more than they had offered in Juue. The proposed schedule of wages represented a reduction of 10 per cent, on the net rates ruling under the old award. As against that reduction the employers, continued Mr. Cousins, offered to classify mechanics. An examination was to be instituted and those men who qualified would be paid 2d. an hour above the minimum award rate. Tn the event of there being no award, qualified mechanics would be paid a minimum of 2/- an hour. Examination Difficulty. Mr. Black raised the question of good mechanics who bad learned their trade in a practical way and might not be able to put their knowledge on paper. Mr. Cousins said that such men would not be put in a false position. The examination would be mainly oral and would be conducted by practical experts, who would fully understand the position of such men. When Mr. Black asked why no provision bad been made for union representatives on the committee to control the examinations, Mr. Cousins said the union bad been invited to co-operate but bad taken no action, so the employers had gone ahead on their own. Mr. Thurston said be understood tbe examination proposal was to be put Into effect only if an agreement were reached. It would be necessary for tbe union to be represented on tbe committee. Mr. Cousins said the union could make application to the committee for representation. At mid-day the meeting adjourned until 2 p.m. to enable the workers’ assessors to study the examination syllabus.. When the assessors reassembled Mr. Thurston, acting in (he temporary absence of Mr. Black, said that in view of the high qualifications required under the proposed examination system, the workers considered that certified men were worth 2/2 in hour, and other mechanics 2/- an hour. Mr. Cousins said the employers could not; make such a concession, but, as a final offer, would give 1/101 and 2/01. After a long retirement the workers’ assessors refused the offer. Mr. Black stated that the majority of the mechanics in Wellington were receiving 2/01. and the proposal meant that these men would be reduced by 2d an hour until such time as they could be persuaded to take tbe examination. He suggested that there be an adjournment until tbe general engineering trade dispute had been heard. Mr. Cousins said he was opposed to an adjournment. Commissioner Protests. “Surely this is not to be the end of the proceedings,” protested the Commissioner. “It. is an expensive business if you come to Wellington and one side says, ‘we’ll give you an extra halfpenny,’ and the other side says, ‘we won’t accept it,’ and then to want au adjournment.” After further discussion a motion that the meeting be adjourned sine die was carried on the casting vote of the Commissioner, who said it was his policy to keep negotiations open wherecver possible. “The result is very disappointing indeed,” said Mr. Newton. “However, I can only declare the meeting closed. I want you to recognise that it will be useless to call another meeting if one side is absolutely opposed to it. I hope, therefore, that in the meantime the matter will be very carefully considered.”