LINOTYPE OPERATORS

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 65, 19 March 1919, Page 8

LINOTYPE OPERATORS

QUESTION OF PIECEWORK. CLAIM AGAINST NEWSPAPER FAILS. (Bl TELEGRAPH.—MESS ASSOCIATION.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. In the Magistrate's Court judgment was given for the Lyttelton Timep Company on a claim by the Inspector of Awards to_ recover penalties on two counts of failing to supply sufficient piecework to linotype operators—at least thirty hours'' piecework during a week. The facts showed that an operator did 27£ hours' piecework and two hours on a special [ edition, which by agreement was recogI nised as equivalent to two hours' piece- | work. In addition, the operator did seven hours' time work, which the defendant claimed should be credited towards the guaranted work, while plaintiff contended that the operator must receive thirty hours' piecework apart from other work done during the week. The Magistrate held that th© object of clause 17, under which the claim was made, ensured piecework operators getting a certain amount of work to enable them to earn reasonable wages compared with other men employed in the office. Therefore it seemed reasonable that, so long as the defendant company found sufficient work for the operator, enabling him to earn what he. would if he did thirty hours' piecework, the employer had fulfilled his guarantee. In the present case the operator's wages—piecework and time —were much more than covered by thirty hours at piecework rates. The Magistrate was therefore of opinion that defendant had complied with the conditions of the award.