ELECTRICAL WORK

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 23, 26 January 1918, Page 6

ELECTRICAL WORK

LINESMEN AND ASSISTANTS,

The Wellington Electrical Workers' Union has filed claims for new awards for electrical workers and for linesmen and assistants in the employ of the' City Corporation. The principal items in the former set of claims are as follow :—

Wages.—Journeymen electricians, 2s per hour; work about ship's boilers or at installing or overhauling storage batteries, also dirty installation and repair work, Is 6d' per day additional; in freezing chambers in operation, 2s per day additional; journeymen in charge of work, for 50 amperes and up to 200, Is per day additional, over 200 amperes. 2s \ additional. i

Hours of work.—Forty-four. per week. Overtime.—Time and a-half to 10 p.m., double time thereafter. Holidays.—New Year's Day, Easter Monday, Labour Day. Christmas Day, Good Friday, Boxing Day, Anniversary Day, Sundays, and Sovereign's birthday, when double time shall'be paid.

Assistants: Proportion not to exceed one to/each journeyman and working employer, at wages ranging from 12s 6d per week in the first year to £2 15s in the fifth. "Assistants shall not work overtime when having to attend classes at a technical school or college, and such assistants shall be allowed two half-days per week in order to attend such classes."

Electric Power Plants: All journeymen electrical workers employed running plants, whether direct current or alternating, and exceeding 25 horse-power either for lighting or power work, shall be. %,, eluded in the award.

There are other clauses relating to preference, suburban and country work, and general conditions. Thedispute will come before the Conciliation Council' on 13th February. Assessors nominated by the union are:—Messrs. W. Wells, R. C. Robinson, and O. Hokanson. i

The line#men claim the following:^- ' Wages : Linesmen and emergency lir.esmen 2s per hour; linesmen's assistants Is 6d per hour.

Holidays : Double time for work done on Sundays. After three months' service full pay for New Year's Day,

Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Sovereign's Birthday, Anniversary Day, Boxing Day, and Christmas Day. Fourteen working days' holiday cri full pay shall be given for each ;'«ar of service.

Hours: Overtime and prcfeiencs clauses are on the same lines as the electrical workers dispute. There are also general provisions, the 'f.incipal of which are : workers shall l:e sullied with best quality rubber gloves, proper fitting oilskins, sou-wester and.leggings, also life belts as supplied by the Telephone Department; not less than eight permanent linesmen to be employed at all times; workers to have.an assistant after sundown; double line for work during meal hours; workers engaged to work on iron poles carrying either hijili ov low tension wires ior both) ehal'l have as an assistant one who hss had at least twelve months' experience in linesmen's work.

The dispute will be hoard by the Conciliation Council en i2ih Febmaiy. The Union assessors are.r Messrs R. C. Robinson, J. Murphy/ arid C Fuf.ies-s.