THE FURNITURE TRADE DISPUTE.

Evening Post, Volume LIV, Issue 19, 22 July 1897, Page 6

THE FURNITURE TRADE DISPUTE.

Atf. B. S. Robinson, President of the United Purnitufft Trades Sc .ciety, writes to the effect that our stateiieut that Mr. Fielder's men, some 35 in number, had returned to work as non- Unionists is misleading. There were, h<j says, only two Unionists working in Mr,. Fielder's shop, One of them was dismiss and has not gone back as a non-Uaionf .st ; the other is still at work as foreman, tv jver having been dismissed, so far as • oiur correspondent is aware, nor is there one. TJnionßt in Wellington, so far as \he otS cers of the society can ascertain, v.ho retu rned to work as a non-Unionist, The appli cation to refer the dispute to the Board' o f Concili ation was filed this mbrning, 'on behalf of ' the Union. The followipg c/ nployers are made parties to it : — Messrs,- Scoullar & jChisholm, H. Fielder, H. FV >ckton, M. Eller & Son, M. Kreissig, — H olroyd, J. Martin, T. Stonebridge, P. Ahf adsen, Diederich, & Son, Richardson Br op., R. Herron, Te Aro House, Drake and & m, R,Digby, Wright, Ranisch & Co., G. 'xiinley, Stewart & B ird, D.1.C., W. Jupp, F. X. Martin, and Kirkcaldie & Stains. The 'particulars set out of the questions in dispute are :— (1) The proportion of apprentices to be not more than one to five men, or fraction of the first five men, but no two* apprentices are to be admitted in one year, tpe proportion to be gauged by full employment for two-thirds of the year; (2) time of apprenticeship to be five years, and remuneration ss, 10s, 15s, 20s, and 25s a week; for the Ist, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and sth years respectively ; (3) the minimum wage for.'joajrt|eymen to be £3 a week; (4) no pierce -work; to be allowed in any shop;' , ; (s) that employers shall employ members, of the "Union in preference to non - members, provided there are members of the Union who are equally qualified with non-members to perform the particular work required to be done, and who are ready and willing to undertake it when non - members are employed. It is therefore ; requested that an industrial agreement be drawn out embodying the above it'commendations, to last two years at least, and which may be prolonged by consent of parties. The fitting of the Court will be held about the end of next week.