FIBROUS PLASTERERS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 258, 28 July 1936, Page 11

FIBROUS PLASTERERS

Wages and Hours Await Court Decision CONCILIATION COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS Discussion of hours and wages for fibrous plasterers was postponed by the Conciliation Council, which met yesterday to' consider the Wellington fibrous plasterers’ dispute until after a decision by the Arbitration Court affecting the length of the working week has been delivered. The council reached agreement on practically all other points. ..The parties to the dispute are the Carrara Ceiling Co., Wellington; C. JPhelps, Kilbirnie: G. A. Sunderland. Masterton, and Martin Bros., Ltd., Palmerston North, the applicants, and the Wellington Plasterers’ Industrial Union of Workers, respondents'. The assessors for the employers were Messrs/ F. Johnson, C. J. Phelps. G. A. Sunderland and K. Jones, and for the workers Messrs. N. Hildreth, E. Newson, G. Nicol and H. W. Wilkins. Mr. W. J. Mountjoy was agent for the employers and Mr. E. Weavers agent for the workers. Mr. S. Ritchie. Conciliation Commissioner, presided. Employers’ and Workers’ Claims. The employers claim a 44-hour week to be worked between 7.30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on ordinary days and 7.30 and noon on the day of the hall-holiday, or alternatively eight hours 48 minutes, on five days between 7.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. Wages they desire should be 1/11 an hour for journeymen fibrous plasterers employed at making, moulding, fixing or stopping fibrous plaster, 1/9 an hour for fibrous plaster casters, workers assisting journeymen at fixing and/or stopping fibrous plaster or wallboard, and for journeymen employed at casting fibrous plaster. Boys and youths assisting at fibrous plaster casting and wallboard making to be paid as follows: —Under 17 years of age: First six months, 15/- a week; second six months, 19/-. From 17 to 18 years: First six mouths. 23/-: second six months, 27/-. From 18 to 19 years: First six months, 31/-; second six months, 35/-. From 19 to 20 years, 40/-. From 20 to 21 years, 50/-. Twenty-one years and over, adult rates. Where learners are not employed the proportion of youths to fully-paid casters should be not more than one to the first caster, and one to each succeeding two or fraction of two fully-paid casters, but where learners are employed the proportion of youths should not exceed one to each three fully-paid casters. The employers suggest an overtime rate of time and a quarter for the first three hours, and time and a half thereafter. The union counter-claims for a 40-hour five-day week, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.. with one hour for dinner or not less than half an hour where agreed on by the men and their employer. The wages pro posed are 3/- an hour for journeymen fibrous plasterers, 2/6 a day extra for a worker giving instructions on jobs where more than four journeymen are employed, 2/9 an hour for fibrous plaster casters and wallboard makers. 2/6 for learners over 20 years of age, and the following wages for youths not under 18 assisting fibrous plaster easters: Under 19, £2/8/6 a week; under 20, £2/18/6; under 21, £3/8/6. The workers' proportion clause was similar to the employers’ proposal. The overtime rate the workers claim is time and a half for the first hour and double time thereafter, not more than four hours’ overtitae being worked in one day, double time on New Year’s Day. Boxing Day. Easter Monday and January 2. They desire no work at all on Saturdays, Good Friday, Christmas Day. Anzac Day. Sundays and Labour Day. They desire prohibition of piecework. Clauses Agreed On. Agreement was reached on a number of clauses. It was agreed that the definition of work should be the same as in the 1931 award, and that double time be paid on the following holidays:—Sunday, Anzac Day, New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day. Christmas Day and Boxing Day. It was agreed that no worker shall be required to work more than five hours continuously without an interval for a meal. The following additional clause was agreed upon:—“The employers will endeavour to restrict overtime work if there are any members of the union out of work and available at the time, and the union undertakes, on request, to supply any labour that may he available " The clauses in the claims and counter claims referring to the proportion o’ learners being found to be practically the same, agreement was reached on that basis. The prohibition of piecework was agreed to. and the clauses covering suburban work and country work are to be the same as those in the 1931 award. The overtime rate is to be referred to the Arbitration Court, as is the term of the award. . , . * The scope of the award, is to be the Wellington industrial district, and .it was agreed that the workers should cite the Hawke’s Bay employers. ,