PLASTERERS’ WAGES

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 162, 5 April 1938, Page 13

PLASTERERS’ WAGES

Award For Wellington District

JOURNEYMEN TO RECEIVE

2/10} AN HOUR

The Second Court of Arbitration yesterday delivered judgment in the dispute between the Wellington Plasterers’ Industrial Union of Workers and the employers in the Wellington district, which embraces Wellington, Palmerston North, Wanganui, Hastings, Napier, Wairoa, Dannevirke, Masterton, Feilding, Pahiatua, Raetihi, Waipawa, Waipukurau, Levin, Marton, Taihape, Lower Hutt, and Petone. The award, which was delivered by Mr. Justice Hunter, provides that 40 hours shall constitute an ordinary week’s work, eight hours to be worked on. five days of each week, Monday,-to Friday inclusive, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. One hour shall be allowed for lunch on each day, but an employer may agree with his workers to allow not less than half an hour. The minimum rate of pay for all journeymen plasterers shall be 2/10J an hour. Two classes of workers only shall be recognised—journeymen and apprentices. On all outside jobs the worker responsible for carrying out the work and who gives instructions to the other workers shall be paid not less than 1/- a day in addition. Overtime and Holidays. • AU work in excess of 40 hours shall be considered overtime, and shall be paid for at the rate of time and a half for the first four hours and double time thereafter. Any time worked after 10 p.m. and before starting time next day shall be paid for at double rates. For work on Sunday, Anzac Day, New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day double time shall be paid. No worker shall be required to work for more than five hours continuously witbout an interval for a meal. The employers shall endeavour to restrict overtime work if there are any members of. the union out of work and available at the time, and the union shall, on request, supply any labour that may be available. Country Work. The award provides that the employer shall convey the worker free of charge, or pay his fare, to and from country work, but once only during the continuance of the work. Journeymen employed upon country l work are to be paid an additional sum of 5/2 a day for six days a week, but the employer may instead provide them with suitable board and lodging at his own expense. Suitable board and lodging shall include the providing of mattresses and stretchers. Any worker having to.proceed by train, bus or ferry to his work shall receive his fare and shall be paid for the time occupied in travelling to and from work. Scaffolding Work.

Men employed in fumigating or work ordered by the health authorities; on swingjjyg or suspended scaffolds, or on any coloured work; and on steeples when working 30 feet or on towers when 40 feet or more above the eaves of the building; on chimney-stacks or towers standing apart from buildings, when working 40 feet or more above the ground; or on sewers, tunnels, or other wet places, shall receive not less than 3d. an hour extra while so employed. The extra money will not be payable in respect of a suspended scaffold of the patent safety scaffold type now in use or a similar type of scaffold if properly tied in or effectively anchored to give it a reasonable degree of rigidity and such scaffolding lias been approved by the inspector of scaffolding. Coloured work shall not include white or ordinary grey.

Workers engaged in the demolition of a building where dust is caused through the falling of brick walls or plaster, or in repairs to or demolition of any building or fittings destroyed or damaged by Are which necessitates the handling of charred timber or stripping old solid plaster as a preliminary to replastering, shall be paid 4d. an liour extra.

Piecework is prohibited, and no work shall be sub-let on a labour-only basis. The award takes effect from April 1, 1938, and will continue until February 7, 1939.