TILE LAYERS’ DISPUTE

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 42, 13 November 1936, Page 7

TILE LAYERS’ DISPUTE

Agreement on Main

Clauses

Complete agreement was reached on all the main clauses in the dispute between the Wellington Tile Layers’ Industrial Union of Workers and the Wellington Builders and Contractors’ Industrial Union of Employers, which was heard in Conciliation Council yesterday before Mr. M. J. Reardon, conciliation commissioner. The only clauses remaining in abeyance were the under-rate workers’ and preference clauses, which have been left to the Arbitration Court. The assessors were: —Employers: Messrs. W. Wilson, A. Fletcher, C. S. Eastwood, with Mr. W. .1. Mouutjoy as agent. Workers: Messrs. A. Rubick, J. Hewitt, W. Dallas, J. Wardlaw. It was agreed that -10 hours should constitute a week’s work, to be worked between 7.30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on five days ot the week. Any time worked in excess of the above hours are to be paid for at time and a half for the first four hours and double time thereafter. The workers claimed that the minimum rate of pay for outside tile-fixers should be 3/2 au hour and for slabbers £6 a with 10/- a week extra for the man 'in charge of a shop. It was also claimed that on all outside jobs the worker responsible for carrying out the w’ork and who gave instructions to the other workers should be a competent journeyman tiler and should be paid not less than 2/6 a day in addition to the above-mentioned wages. The employers offered 2/6-1 an hour for outside tile-fixers and 2/3 for workers employed on tile surrounds and slabs. They also offered the following rates of wages for youths: First six months of service, 15/- a week, rising to £ I/15/- in the sixth six month of service. £2/2/6 in the fourth year, and £2 12/6 in the fifth year. Thereafter journeymen’s rates. The following were the rates agreed upon: Outside tile-fixers, 2/71 an hour; workers employed on tile surrounds and slabs, 2/3; in shops where more than one journeyman is employed, the worker who is in charge and who is responsible for giving instructions, 1/- a day extra. Youths: 15/- in the first six months of service, rising to £2/2/6 in the seventh, £2/7/6 in the eighth, £2/12/6 in the ninth, and £3 in the tenth; thereafter journeymen’s rates. The proportion of youths is not to exceed one youth to every two fully-paid workers. The employers agreed to endeavour to restrict overtime work if there were any members of the union out of work and available at the time, and the union undertook, on request, to supply any labour that may be available. The award is for two years.