ARBITRATION COURT

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18, 22 July 1919, Page 7

ARBITRATION COURT

AMENDMENTS TO AWARD

SOUGHT

The sittings of the Arbitration Court were continued this morning, Mr. Justice Stringer presiding, and having with him Messrs. W. Scott and J. M'Cullough as assessors. ' . '

Applications to amend the engineers, boilermakers, metal workers' assistants, and motor mechanics' awards were taken together, Mr. M. J. Reardon representing the unions, Mr. H. F. Allen the employers concerned in the three firstmentioned applications, and Mr. J. F. Cousins appearing for the employers of motor mechanics.

Mr. Reardon said be had been authorised to agree to the decision of the Court in other centres in respect to engineers, boilermakers, and motor mechanics, who, by these decisions, had been granted Is 7^d an hour, "with 2£d an hour bonus. The unions had been moved to this decision owing to the fact that all tne awards concerned would expire in a few months' time, when the whole position could "be reviewed. In regard to metal workers' assistants, Mr. Eeardon asked that wages should he increased to Is 10^d an hour. Mi' Allen, while remarking in reply to Mr. Justice Stringer that he saw "little use in objecting" to the decisions of the Court in other centres, maintained that there had not been a rise in the cost of livingl to justify the fresh demands of the local unions.

Mr. Cousins said he, did not propose to object to the Court's decisions in respect to motor mechanics' assistants in other centres being made to apply locally. He wished to point out, however, that the local men had been treated very generally for, whereas, taking the three food groups, and' rents, the cost of living in the Wellington industrial district, had increased during the last twelve months by about 3.B.per cent., journeymen's wages had increased by 12 per cent., and assistants' pay by 14 to 15 per cent. The employers, he added, objected! to any alteration of the overtime clause.

Mr. W. A. Grenfell, who represented various ironmasters outside the association, dealt with the question'of overtime, and said that""the hours worked were so reasonable that some overtime did not add greatly to the stress of the work.

The Court reserved its decision.