MOTOR ASSEMBLY WORKERS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 33, 3 November 1937, Page 11

MOTOR ASSEMBLY WORKERS

Conciliation Council Adjourned

No finality on rates of wages for permanent hands and casual labour was reached in the industrial dispute heard at Wellington yesterday before Mr. M. J. Reardon, Conciliation Council Commissioner, between storemen and packers in the motor assembly works of Ford Motors, Ltd., Retone, Todd Motors, Ltd., Petone, and General Motors (N.Z.), Ltd., Petone, and their respective employers. An adjournment was made at the conclusion of yesterday’s proceedings for the employees’ assessors to consider various aspects raised by the employers’ assessors, and the matter will be beard by the council again on November 15. Assessors for the employers were Messrs. T. 11. Turvey. S. Frickleton and 11. D. Wraight, with Mr. W. J. Mouutjoy as advocate. For the employees, the aswere Messrs. C. Davisou, J. Laraeey and J. Tucker, with Mr, T. L. J. Tucker'as advocate. A 40-hour five-day week was agreed upon with overtime at the rate of time and a half after three hours, and for work on Saturdays. It was also agreed that youths should start at a wage of £l/5/a week with 5/- increases every six months until the rate of £3/10/- a week was reached.

There was no agreement on the holiday clause, or upon the definition of casual workers, or upon rates of pay for storemen and packers and casual workers. Where the employees sought £4/15/- a week for storemen and packer's, and 2/6 an hour for casual labour, the employers offered £4/13/4 and 2/4* respectively.