APPRENTICESHIP.

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 102, 1 May 1924, Page 3

APPRENTICESHIP.

CONSIDERED JUDGMENT

MORE THAN b'NE COMMITTEE . .. desirable; .:.,;::;;.".

(BT TELEGRAPH.—PRESS 'ASSOCIATION.)

-;.-.-'v • \r^Uaa J AND,;;3o.th,<.April. . -Mr.' Justice' Frazer,.; President. rofi; the Arbitration;-Courts, made,, the;'following announcement-with regard tcvihe formation bf^conimittces.Vundei1 the. Apprentices Act':-^- '■":"- ■;■ ■: '••

"The Arbitration Court -has considered' a suggestion that one combined committee "should . be"': appointed for seven 'trades, .~;'c6mprism'g',., what has , been called the ' building trade groups, viz., .'carpenters -and-, joiners, brick-, layers, ...stphe.\and ; ,monumental masons, solid and:;fibrons .plasterers, plumbers and gasfittters,-painters-, and rdecorators, and electricians. .'■ The Builders' As-' sociation■ and a number 'of'unions concerned express opinions • in'•favour of a combined committee,, oii- the grounds (a) that greater'uniformity'" in policy and action;; would be; obtained (b) that timo would. be ' saved; —„ (c). that a combined committee" would have a, wider outlook. On "the other hand, it was. objected (a);:that a combined, committee ■ would- be ■ unwieldly and would have to delegate- its. functions to sub-committees of experts representin*lndividual; trades; (b) that these subcommittees would have no'legal standing, and could not. take action without invoking.,tlie: aid of Vine combined"'com.mittee;, (c);,that. if, eac;h'..trade.:Jjad its own committee and .attended only to its own affairs time would"be 'saved instead, of lost. . ...,-'■

It was submitted' that the carpentry, and joinery,, bricklaying, solid-plas-tering, and stonemasons' trades" :were directly eonected with' one ■ another and were legitimately to be clawed "as''build-ing-trades, in' which -builders"\v-ere the principal employers. In the case of fibrous plasterers, . the work.is { largely that of a manufacturing industry,:,^hile the representatives of the master.plumbers and gasfitters, painters'"arid 'decorators, and electricians 'stated that! only 25 per cent, of their- work was-performed for builders. These are all specialised and skilled trades.. -:.,,,. ..,„.. ._ "It appears that'there.'aire no apprentices at present' in - the stonemasons'' trade, though' there,are a number in the mpnumental: masons', .trade;r;b.i&:. apprentices are occasionally'•given"stbn'eihasons' work, and a good deal of-the-monunien-tal masons'; work'is'.:done on ornamental stone and marble;work:in.,conection"-with. new buildings.: ■ • ■■ '•■■ - "We .have decided, after.' fult consideration".;...tliat:;ione..■ apprenticeship" com-mittee-should.;, be. appointed, for the carpentering and joinery, bricklaying, stone and'monumental masons, and solid plastering trades', and separate. committees for the painting ' and .: decoratiDg, plumbing and gasfitting, \ fibrous,'i>laf .er, and .electrical trades respectively.' ' I£ electricians,.desire to .become^affiliated to a group we are inclined to agree that that group should ■ be^ the engineerms trades group...:/.: :..■ r..-'.\'; • ::-Si'X' ■

• We are -satisfied • that ■jjrtce "general orders are made-the: work-'of. supervision will : 'form the,': greater -part of the duties;o£ the committees, .and"that the advantage of, independences-.of. .action by. each trade committee; - which - will be composed, of. experts ,in the-trade outweighs • any; advantage to! Ye' gained by the■ appointment- of a- large''conib'inecl committee Uniformity, -so' ■far"as it is desirable., can 'be .-attaiifect by -""Soldmg conferences of .different:, committees. By.-this means committees will be able to assist one another -in deciding on the policies and 'methods of supervision,..while each-.--will 'preserve its own identity and the-right to determine matters, that relate more particularly to its-.-q wn>: trade. The Court will" later1 consider' .recommendafiang for the making of general- orders'ffbm any committees 'formed:""' : '■' '