APPLICATIONS FOR EXEMPTION

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 41, 12 November 1936, Page 13

APPLICATIONS FOR EXEMPTION

Dominion Painters’ Award

Practically the whole of yesterday afternoon's sitting of the Arbitration Court was taken up with various applications for exemption from the provisions of awards. Mr. Justice Page presided, and associated witli him were Messrs. W. Cecil Prime (employers’ representative), and A. L. Monteith (workers’ representative). The only actual clause in dispute was one in the Dominion Painters’ and Decorators’ Award —that relating to ship work. "Since coming into court this afternoon,” said Mr. G. H. Norman, appearing for the Union Steamship Co., and the Wellington Patent Slip Co., "Mr. Cornwell and I have discussed this clause, and have come to an agreement. It was agreed that I redraft the clause and submit it to the registrar.” "If you will draw- the clause up and get the parties concerned to sign it, I will have it embodied in the award,” said his Honour.

Application was made for exemption from the Dominion Painters’ and Decorators’ Award by Mr. W. J. Mountjoy, on behalf of the Wellington Harbour Board, Wellington City Council, Vacuum Oil Co., Atlantic Union. Oil Co., and the Texas Oil Co. Mr. Mountjoy contended that the companies’ men were engaged on petrol pump maintenance work, and as their work was spread over all the towns, cities and remote country districts of both islands, the men would sometimes arrive at a job at. such a time that they would not be enabled to finish the work within the time specified in the award. The men were being paid a higher rate of wages on account of the nature of their work, and the companies concerned had never had any complaints from the men. Mr. 11. J. Bishop, appearing on behalf of the Woolston Tanneries, and the Christchurch Hospital Board’(under the above award) asked for their application to be referred to the sitting of the court at Christchurch. His Honour said that when a party was cited by a union it was usual for the party concerned to be heard in its own district. He said that the two parties concerned would be erased from this dispute, but that they would have to be added to the Christchurch one, and would be considered when the court sat there, Application was also made for exemption from the Dominion Painters’ and Decorators’ Award by 18 freezing companies. They considered that they did not. work in competition with anyone else. Mr. A. W. Nisbet appeared on behalf of the Karitane Products, Ltd., and asked that they be struck out from the Wellington Drug, Chemical, Condiment and Pickle Manufacturers’ dispute. He said that the company was not a commercial concern inasmuch as no persons received any pecuniary benefits from the operations of the society. The society was formed as an adjunct to the Plunket Society to manufacture infants’ foods for. the society, and to provide, at the lowest possible price to the consumer, the products which the Truby King system called for.

"Shareholding is only a nominal matter,” said Mr. Nisbet, "and no shareholder can derive any monetary benefit by way of dividends or capital. The services of the directors, or committee of management, are gratuitous, and no fees are paid to anyone for such services.” Under the rules of the society, concluded Mr. Nisbet, all profits are, at the discretion of the directors, used for the furtherance of the Plunket Society benefits,

Evidence was given by Mr. C. Scott, factory manager of Karitane Products, Ltd., and a full statement of the constitution of the company and its balancesheets are to be supplied to the court. Mr. F. Cornwell represented the workers in the above applications.