ARBITEATIOJN COURT TYPOGRAPHICAL DISPUTE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 70, 19 September 1912, Page 8

ARBITEATIOJN COURT TYPOGRAPHICAL DISPUTE

TODAY'S PROCEEDINGS. ' 'At the Arbitration Court today hearing was commenced of the application for a Dominion award in the typographical trade. His Honour Mr. Justice Sim waß President' of the Court, and with him were Messrs. W. Scott and J. A. M'Cullough. Tho districts involved in the dispute wore: Wellington, Northern, Taranaki, Nelson, Marl borough, Canterbury, Weatland, Otago, and Southland. Mr. J. W. F. M'Dougall (Wellington) in the hand section and Mr. J. Harris (Dunedin) in the machine section, represented the Federated Typographical Association. Mr. W. Fiyor represented the employers, and had with him Messrs. George Fenwick (machine section), Mi 1 . M'lndoe (hand section), and Mr. M'Crobie (country section). . HAND WORK SECTION. • In the hand work section the federation demands are for a forty-four hour week for jobbing compositors _ and a forty-two hour week for morning and evening newspaper men. Rates of pay shall be : For day work £3 15s, for night work £4 ss, with no deductions for holidays. Overtime shall be paid for on a graduated scak, ranging from one-third extra for the first three hours to double time after five hours. Eight hours' spell shall be allowed after working overtime, or the work shall be considered a continuation of overtime. Payment at special rates shall be made for specified holidays, except to newspaper employees, who shall be entitled to a week's holiday on full pay in each year in lieu of the regular holidays. Apprentices shall be legally indentured for a term of six years, _ and may be employed in ths following proportions : One for the office, ono for the first three journeymen, one for tho next four journeymen, and one for every five additional journeymen, all permanently employed. Any apprentice who has gained a certificate at any technical college certifying to his having passed a two years' course in a composing class, shall rank as a second year apprentice. Piecework rates shall be: Day hands Is 2d per 1000 ens. night hands Is 3d per lUOO ens. Special rules in' regard to extra charges are included. READERS. Minimum wages for newspaper readers shall be: Nightwork— chief reader £4 15s, other readers £4; day work— chief readers £4 10s. other readers £3 17s 6tlj jobbiug loom readers, £3 17s 6d." MACHINE SECTION. In the machine section the Federation asks that the ' rates shall be ; Day operatoi'3 £3 15s, night operators £4 ss. Any operator on piecework called to work on time shall receive not less per hour than Is 10d (day) and 2s Id (night). Piecework rates shall bo : Minimum 'per 1000 ens, without fat, 3£d brevier and smaller types : 3|d bourgeois ; 4d larger types: with all fat less per 1000; overtime, one-third extra. Night pieceworkers shall be paid an allowance equal to the difference between the wages of day arid night operators. Hours of work shall be seven per day^ or 42 per week, as set out in the conditions. Overtime shall be one-third extra for first three hours, thereafter double. Saturday night extra editions shall be paid for at the rate of 3s per hour on. time. Probationers ehall be paid from £3 to £3 10s for the first six months; and they shall be journeymen compositors. Other forms of type-setting on machines shall be paid : daywork £3 15s, nightwork £4 ss. EMPLOYERS' COUNTERPROPOSALS. The employer"! classify the towns into five divisions :— (1) The four principal cities; (2) town 3 over 10,000 (according to 1911 census) ,- (3) 5001 to 10,000 ; (4) 2500 to 5000,- (5) towns under 2500. They propose a week of 48 hours, witn rates in the machine section ranging from is 7d an hour (nightwork in division 1) to Is 3d an hour (daywork in division 5) ; weekly rates, £3 16s to £3. Piecework rates shall be 2|d per 1000 I with fat up to and including brevier ; ! <M 4M 4 with fat, bourgeois and larger j ' solid matter id extra in all types; no extra payment for night piecework. For Saturday night editions 2s 6d an hour is offered. Probationers shall be paid £2 5s for daywork and £2 10s for nightwork, until full efficiency speed is attained. A test of efficiency with proportionate pay is provided for when an operator h on time-work. Operators of monotype and similar machines shall oe from £3 5s per week, or Is 4id per hour in division 1 to £2 15s per week in division 5, or Is 2^d an hour in division 4. In handwork the general conditions as to hours offered are the same as in the machine section. Wages offered, according io the divisions, range from £2 6s to •£3 10s per week, with equivalent hourly rates in the first three divisions. The claim for a week's holiday for newspaper employees is objected "to. Piecework rates shall be Is Id per 1000 ens far daywork and Is 2d for nightwork. Overtime shall be paid for at the rate of time and a third. Any reference to readers is objected to. J Evidence in the hand section had not concluded when the Court adjourned at 1 o clock, to sit again to-morrow at 10 a.m. On his Honour's suggestion, a confer- ' enee- between representatives of the employers and the machine section was arranged lor thi« afternoon.