CONCILIATION BOARD.

Evening Post, Volume LVI, Issue 16, 19 July 1898, Page 5

CONCILIATION BOARD.

« AWARD IN THE PLUMBING TRADE DISPUTE. The Conciliation Board—Messrs. W. H. Quick (Chairman),S. Brown,andD. P. Fisher —met in the Supreme Court Buildings this morning to give its award in tile plumbing trade dispute. The three officers of the Plumbers' Union, Messrs. Barr, Beaumont, and Davies, were present, and a number of employers. The Chairman said the matter had taken the Board less time to decide than any previous dispute brought before it. The desire of both sides to have some standard of recognition had greatly aided the Board, and there seemed to be a general desire on the part of the larger shops to meet the Union amicably. He (the Chairman) would again suggest that employers should form themselves into unions, for this would greatly facilitate the work of conciliation and arbitration. If both sides had their unions, and these appointed subcommittees to deal with trade disputes, the work of the Conciliation Board as at present constituted would practically be done away with. The Board had been almost solely guided by the suggestions of the special Commission which met last Thursday night, Mr. Quick then read the Board's reconimendatious, which were as follows • - 1. That 46 hours constitute «1 full week's work, made up by working 8£ hours on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and 4£ hours on Saturday. Employe's who are working out at jobs to be at the shop at 12.45 p.m. on Saturday to be paid. 2. That the rate of pay be Is 4d per hour for competent workmen. Men who are considered to be unable to earn that wage shall be paid such lesser sum (if any) as shall be fixed by a committee consisting of two persons nominated by the employers and two persons nominated by the Union, and if they cannot agree, by the Chairman of the Board of Conciliation. 3. That all overtime work be paid for at the rate of time and a quarter for the first two hours, and time and a half afterwards. All work done before 8 in the morning, after 5 o'clock at night, and after 12.45 p.m. on Saturday to count as overtime work. Work done on Christmas Day, Good Friday, Eight Hours Day, and Sundays to count as double time. On all other recognised general holidays work to be paid for at the rate of time and a-half. This clause not to apply to men working on shifts, provided that the time worked be not exceeded as before specified in clause 1. 4. That an employer or firm be allowed one assistant for each employer or practical working partner, but another assistant must not be taken on until a journeyman is employed by such employer or firm. No firm to have more than two assistants for working partners. 5. That the proportion of assistants to journeymen receiving the aforesaid rates be not less than one assistant (meaning thereby man or boy receiving less than lid per hour) to one journeyman ; that the proportion of improvers be at the rate of one to three journeymen ; improvers' rate of wages to he anything between lid and Is 3d per hour. 6. That all wages he paid weekly or fortnightly. 7. That plumbers working outside the city boundary be conveyed to and from the job or be paid travelling fare thereto and therefrom, and ordinary wages for time taken in going to such job; employers to pay all fares to and from a country job, and board while working there. 8. Employers to provide men with soldering bolts, iron pipe fitting tools, metal pots, plumbing irons, mandrils, aud files. 9. All things being equal, preference of employment to be given to Union men. 10. That an industrial agreement be drawn up aud signed by all the parties to this dispute within li days from the 19th July, 1898, to last for two years from that date, failing which the Chairman, on the suggestion of either party, or at his own discretion, to file a report that the Board has failed to conciliate. The Chairman observed that with the exception of one clause—the proportion of improvers —the Committee composed of the Union's and the employers' delegates had framed its own award. Mr. Suaddon said that the one clause altered by the Board made all the difference to the award. Mr. Balliuger, speaking to the clause, wanted the Board to define "a journeyman." The Chairman replied that this was for the employers themselves to define. The Board had attempted to leave an opening for that class of men who were not fully competent as workers. vMr. Snaddon complained that the masters had not been heard on the subjects in dispute, and he spoke strongly against the manner in which the award had been arrived at. Mr. Quick replied that neither had the men been beard, and if they had argued on tho one point for a week the same conclusion would have been arrived at. Mr. Barr, President of the Union, thanked the Board for the manner in which tire dispute had been taken, and ventured the opinion that the award would give satisfaction to both sides. Voices—No. Mr. Adams, an emplo3rer, said he thought the Board had treated the matter fairly, and its award was not hard on the employers. The better the class of workers the masters had the better for all. The Board than rose.