BUILDING INDUSTRY

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 13, 17 January 1933, Page 8

BUILDING INDUSTRY

STEADILY DECLINING

PLASTERERS' DISPUTE

In making an appeal to .the employees' assessors i.o adopt a reasonable attitude, Mr. W. J. Mountjoy, advocate for the employers, quoted the following figures in regard to the value of building permits issued in Wellington, at a sitting of the Conciliation Council before the Conciliation Commissioner (Mr. E.-W. F. Gohns) to-day to consider the plasterers' dispute:—l93o, £2,310,629; 1931 £403,000; 1932, £195,378. The following were the assessors:— Employers: Messrs. W. J. Mountjoy (Wellington Employers' Association advocate), R. E. Kent, T. W. Lovatt, and T.T. Foley. Employees: Messrs. W. Broadley (advocate), C. G. Hall, ft. Burton, and A. Barn.

Mr. Mountjoy aaid.that the old award was drawn up in April, 1930, when, although the state of the trade was not as bright a3 it migsit have been, it was thought that conditions would improve. Unfortunately the improvement did not materialise; on the contrary, the trade had steadily fallen away, and to-day was faced with very difficult times. Because of. the adverse condition many employers had had to go out of business. Although better times were hoped for, people had had their incomes reduced, and those requiring work done wanted it done as cheaply as possible. Competition was now much keener. The old award fixed a wage of 2s 4id an hour, which had been reduced by 10 per cent. The flmployers had no desire to reduce wages, but owing to circumstances beyond their control they were in the position that unless wages came down, imany of them would be forced' out of business. The workers in other industries had realised the necessity for accepting lower wages, and he asked the employees to show a spirit of eo-opera-tiqn. - r KINDRED TRADES. There was an objection from the employees at the outset of the discussion when Mr. Mountjoy suggested that the carpenters and joiners' award should be used as a basis for argument in order to secure uniformity between the trades as regards hours of work and ■ conditions. Mr. Burton said they, should not consider the'carpenters and joiners' award. Mr. Broadley: The carpenters gave away something in the hours of work that they should not have given away without consulting the other branches of the trade. ' Under the old award the hours of work were from 8 till 5 from Monday till Friday, and from 8 till noon on Saturday. The employers, in proposing a forty-four hour week, asked for the starting time to be- extended to 7.00 a.m. to allow the employer some elasticity. The employees objected to this proposal and suggested a fortyhour week. ' Mr. Burton said that "the busiest man in the world," Mussolini, had stated that the forty-hour, week-must come and was the only solution to the unemployment-problem. • / Mr. Mountjoy: He may be a dictator, but he is not the dictator of the Wellington Master Plasterers. : , WAGES AND OVERTIME. . Wages were discussesd briefly, the employers suggesting Is 94d an hour, which Mr. Mountjoy said they would be prepared to increase to Is IOJd or rnor,e provided reasonable- conditions were agreed upon. Mr. Broadley said .that the workers were also prepared to take the conditions into consideration. The workers asked for the terms of the ; old award.: The employers proposed that overtime should be paid for at the rate of time and a quarter for the first four hours and time and a half thereafter. The counter-proposals -were for double pay for all overtime, the employees stating that they wished overtime to bo eliminated. ' . I

a " For work done on Sunday, New Year's Day, Good Friday, and Christmas Day, the employers offered double pay, with time-and-a-half for Easter, Monday and Labour Day. Mr. Burton said that the proposals seemed to introduce 'a Scotsman's element_ in regard to New Year's Day and a religious element in regard to Christmas Day and Good Friday. v Cries of "No" from both sides of the table. Mr. Broadley said that a holiday on Boxing Day or Labour Day was of more value to him than a "holiday on Christmas Day ot Good Friday, because ther,e was somewhere to go and enjoy himself. " '• Mr. Foley objected to notice of dismissal being given because on one occasion he had given employees notice and during the time before leaving they had mixed a considerable amount of materials which were consequently wasted. : Mr. Broadley said that the men responsible had been "matted" by the Plasterers' Union. Mr. Foley replied that the : same thing had been done to, other employers. For country work the employers offered an allowance of 4s 6d for each working day (Monday to Saturday) as against 5s 4d under the old award. In the same connection the employees suggested that a worker should be paid his expenses to make a» trip to his home after being on a country job for three ■ months. ■ .