ENGINEERS' DEMANDS ALL-ROUND BENEFITS SOUGHT

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 11, 13 July 1914, Page 8

ENGINEERS' DEMANDS ALL-ROUND BENEFITS SOUGHT

CAN THE INDUSTRY STAND IT? LIVELY CONCILIATION MEETING. The Conciliation Council appointed to deal with the Wellington Engineers' dispute held its first sitting to-day, the Commissioner (Mr. P. Hally) presiding. The men's assessors were Messrs J. H. Taylor, H. H. Scroggs, and J. W. Watson, while those who appeared for the employers were Messrs. W. Cable, W. Crabtree, and D. Robertson, jun. Messrs. S. J. Elson and H. Fisher appeared for the men, and Mr. H. F. Allen for the Ironmasters' Association. Mr. W. A. W. Grenfell represented other employers. ' The union, in seeking a new award, asked for a reduction of the weekly hours of. work from 46^ to 44, the raising of the rates of pay generally from Is 3d and Is 4£d to Is 8d and "is B£d per hour, an additional 25 per cent, for leading hands upon such rates, Is per day extra for men employed outside their employer's establishment, 3s extra per day for any employee • sent out to work and placed in charge of one or more workmen, saloon fares on coastal boats, and if at any time second-class sleeping accommodation is provided, that employees when travelling at night by train shall be provided with secondclass sleeping beith tickets. Special rates were demanded for overtime and work done on Sundays, Is per day extra for dirty work, the payment of wages in the employer's time, the prohibition of piece-work, full preference to union* ists, the limitation of apprentices, in proportion, to journeymen as one to four, and the' paymenUof apprentices at the following rates : — First year, 10s per week ; second year, 15s ; third year, 20s ; fourth year, 30s; fifth year, 40s. The employers, in their counter-pro-posals, asked that the existing award be renewed for a further term of three years, with a few alterations, including deduction from the wages of apprentices for loss of time through sickness or the apprentice's own default. Mr. Cable : . I would , like to know where these gentlemen on the opposite side work. It is always interesting to know. Mr. Elson : You have accepted them, Mr. Cdmmissioner •The Commissioner, said it was entirely unnecessary to discuss the question, and proceeded with the next business. He said that the* list of parties cited was very badly .compiled, being about the worst that had yet been presented. He would try and get as much evidence as' he could to see whether many of those cited carried on business as engineers or not, and he would strike out a good many of them. If the union objected to such deletions, it could apply to the Arbitration Court. It was \inentioned that several of the men's representatives were employed at the Petone' Workshops, which were not cited to the dispute, being a Government concert. Mr. Cable : I wish to enter my emphatic protest against such a proceeding. The position is absurd. The Commissioner said it did not matter, to him who the men's assessors were so long as the men were satisfied with them, He asked what was the position with regard to the actual dispute. Mr. Elson said disputes had recently been heard in connection with the industry at Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin, and in each instance had been referred; to the Court. It did not follow, however, that an agreement could not_ be arrived at here, as the men were desirous of coining to an agreement if possible. • Mr. Grenfell : I think it is the first duty of the union to show cause why alterations should be made in the existing conditions. Mr. Elson : The men have not had any increase for some considerable time. Mr. Grenfell : The employers are in the same box with their profits. Mr. Elson .- That has got to be shown. Mr. Cable : We can supply ' documentary evidence to show that the trade cannot stand your demands, and the sooner .you understand that the better. Mr. Elson : We can't take your word for that. , .^ Mr. Cable stated that lately employers' profits had gone down to nil. "You laugh," he said, addressing the men's representatives, "but it is a fact." Mr. Allen said the claims of the men were quite absurd, and could not be agreed to. He thought it was unnecessarily taking up the time of the Council and others present in trying to consider them, and, as was done in the Dunedin, Christchurch, and Auckland disputes, urged that the whole case should be referred straight to the Court. "No arrangement," he declared, "can possibly be come to." Many of the companies, even under existing conditions, had paid no dividends last year. % Mr. Elson said the employers had evidently come there with their minds made up not to discuss the matter at all. The Commissioner suggested that the best course that could be adopted was for the Council to go into committee. This course was adopted, the advocates for both sides and the press representatives withdrawing. The Council sat in committee till 1 o'clock, when an adjournment was made for a fortnight in order that the parties might in the meantime visit Napier nnd Wanganui. No agreement was come to.