AGREEMENT REACHED

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 264, 4 August 1937, Page 6

AGREEMENT REACHED

Wireworkers’ Dispute Complete agreement was reached in Conciliation Council proceedings yesterday at Wellington when the industrial dispute between the Wellington District Gate, Fence and Wire Products Manufacturers’ Industrial Union of Employers and the Wellington Branch of the Amalgamated Engineering and Allied Trades Industrial Union of Workers was heard before .Ur. M. ,1. Reardon, conciliation commissioner. There was little disagreement on the minor clauses, but the conditions affecting classification of workers and rates of pay provoked considerable discussion. Mr. A. Black, the employees’ advocate, stated, in connection with the classification of workers, that when a man had worked for five years in the trade he was still only a labourer. “Why not pay him labourer’s wages, instead of those of a skilled whitman as you suggest, then?” asked Mr. A. W. Nisbet, employers’ advocate. “That is not what I meant. The man can be classed only as a labourer outride this trade, which is very limited in scope,” said Mr. Black. “You climbed out of that well.” replied Mr. Nisbet. The definition of a wireworker, the skilled worker of the trade, was finally decided to be as follows: — “An adult worker of five years’ experience who is solely engaged in the handproduction of wire goods and capable of working from blue prints or plans of goods other than machine-made, or capable of applying his trade experience.” The' proportion of youths to be employed to adult workers was one youth for'each machine worker, and the number of apprentices to wireworkers was settled in a memorandum to the agreement. The proposed proportion for apprentices was one apprentice to every three, or part of three, wireworkers, “You are not asking for an increase in wages, are you?” asked Mr. E. C. Cropp, an employers’ assessor. “Oh, yes,” said Mr. Black. “Well, we may as well shut up shop. The employees finally agreed to accept the employers’ proposals, which were as follows: — , , . Wireworkers', £5 a week, machine workers and other adult employees, £4 10/- a week, and a scale for youths commencing at 17/6 a week for boys under the age of 16. Foremen are to receive £6 a week. The payment of wages is to be weekly, and the hours of work were fixed at 40 a week, to be worked on each day from Monday to Friday inclusive, between the hours of 7.30 a.m. and o p.m. The term of the award is for one year. , Provision for holidays in the agreement stated that all statutory holidays were to be observed and, in addition, the 'days from Boxing Day to New Years Day both days inclusive, were to be regarded as holidays at ordinary rates of P A special assurance from Mr. Black, the employees’ advocate, was given to Mr. W. G. Black, Palmerston North, an employers’ assessor, that the award would be of Dominion-wide application eventually. This confirmation, Mr. W. G. Black explained, was necessary to him, as otherwise- he would have no guarantee that he would not be working under an award that had a higher rale of wages than his competitors in the Manawatu district. Good Feeling Expressed.

Reference was made by Mr. A. Black, the workers’ advocate, to the fair treatment received from the employers and the good feeling that existed between the union and the Wellington Manufacturers Association. Both parties expressed their appreciation of the commissioner’s work in aiding them Jo reach an. amicable agreement oil all’points. An application is to be made to have the agreement converted into an award at the sitting of the Arbitration Court at Wanganui next