STAGE HANDS' DISPUTE

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 111, 7 November 1933, Page 9

STAGE HANDS' DISPUTE

HOURS AND WAGES

CONCILIATION COUNCIL

The Dominion theatrical and stage employees' dispute was heard in conciliation council today. Tho Conciliation Commissioner (Mr, P. Hally) presided. The assessors' for the applicant employers were Messrs. H. Stringer, R. Shepherd, W. Burton, and W. J. Mountjoy . (advocate), all of Wellington. Messrs. E. Pearson .(Auckland),'J. B. Holmes (Wellington), C. Strong (Christchurch), B. Ashby (Dunedin), and A. W. Croskery (advocate) were the assessors for the respondent union. The hours of work sought for weekly and casual workers were from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 7.30 p.m. until the fall of the curtain and the clearing of the stage; when no performance was given, an hour for tea between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. to be allowed, ovortime rates to be payable thereafter. Tho union proposed that the hours should be from 9 a.m. to-5 p.m. The employers sought an eight-hour day for wardrobe women (casual workers), and the counter-claim was for 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. The union asked that the weekly hours for touring workers should be 48, that the engagement of casual labour should commence and terminate at the theatre. The weekly wages sought by the applicants were as follows, the counterclaims being in parentheses :—First mechanist, £5 5s (touring £7 17s 6d, resident £6 2s 6d); second mechanist, £4 5s (jtouring £7 2s 6d, resident £5 7s 6d); other mechanists, £4 4s (touring £6 12s 6d); flyman, £4 4s (£6 12s 6d); first property man, £4 16s (touring £7 7s 6d, resident £5 12s Gd); second property man, £4 4s (touring £6 12s 6d, resident £4 17s 6d); first electrician, £4 16s (touring £7 7s 6d); second electrician, £4 4s (touring £G 12s 6d); oiher.electricians, £3 15s (touring £6 2s 6d); other lighting hands, £3 15s (£4.12s 6d); wardrobe master, £3 10s: (touring £5 17s 6d, resident £4 12s 6d); wardrobe mistress, £3 (touring £5 7s 6d, resident £4 2s 6d)j stage door keeper, £3 (£4 2s 6d); stage hands, all performances, £3 5s (£4 7s 6d). . An additional allowance of 5s per day in the case of males and 4s per day in the ease of females, was offered by the employers in rpspeet to'workers engaged on tour, such, allowances not to be paid for any day whenthe worker's departure -from tho home town was made later than 7 p.m., or any day when the return to the home town was earlier than 8 a.m. : The employers claimed that ovortime be paid at time 'and a quarter for the first six hours in excess of their specified daily hours, thereafter at time and a half. Where workers were taken on tour and worked 54 hours in any week, they should be paid 10s per week in addition to the,ordinary rate, and where, in any week, the hours exceeded 60, the workers concerned should j be paid £1 a week in addition to the ordinary rate. For touring workers the union coun-tcr-clainied for time and a half overtime in excess of 48 hours per week, all time occupied in travelling between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to be included in calculating the' 48 hours, and all time in excess of the specified daily hours in the case of other ■workers to be paid overtime at time and a Jialf for the first!thrco hours, and double time thereafter. T\v;enty-f our hour's' notice should be given to each employee required to work overtime after the performance.

There were considerable differences in the claims and. counter-claims regarding definitions..;(Jf. duties ahd. general conditions. /, •" ■

(Proceeding/)