CARPENTERS' CLAIMS

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 32, 6 August 1936, Page 10

CARPENTERS' CLAIMS

DOMINION AWARD

MINIMUM OF £6 A WEEK

The hearing of the dispute between the New Zealand Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners and Joiners' Machinists'; Industrial Union of workers and the New Zealander Federated Builders and Contractors Industrial Association of Employers and others, was commenced in conciliation council today, Mr. M. J. Beardon presiding. The union's assessors were Messrs. J. G. Kennerley, Auckland; E. P. Sutclifte, Christchurch; J. Moulton, Wellington; S. Ikin, Dunedin; A. C. Cockerill, Napier; S. Kenning, Nelson; G. Fleming, New Plymouth. W. Grieg (Auckland) was advocate. The master builders' assessors were Messrs. W. M. Angus, of W. M. Angus, Ltd., Napier; W. Ellis, Dunedin; A. Fletcher, Fletcher Construction Co., Ltd., Wellington; A. B. Fraser, of Fraser and Burke, Ltd., Wellington; W. Mill, of McLean and Gray, Wellington; W. A. Petrie, Timaru; W. R. Winsor, Christchurch. Mr. W. J. Mountjoy was advocate. UNION'S CLAIMS. The claims of the union were for a Dominion award for an eight-hour day with a five-day week. The minimum wage claimed for employees covered by the award when working a 40-hour week was £6, casual workers to be paid not less than 3s 3d per hour (a casual worker is one employed for less than two weeks). Wages were to be paid not later than Thursday in each week, and overtime to be prohibited, except in cases of extreme necessity or accident. ; A week's holiday on full pay, for each completed twelve months, was sought. The sum of 3s 6d per week in addition to the weekly wages for travelling allowance for all workers was claimed. It was also proposed that piecework should be prohibited. The application provided for suburban and country work, and for a preference clause. The employers objected to the* union's claims, and asked for the 1935 award. ' There was a lengthy list of parties, including twenty-four, unions and hundreds of employers. EXEMPTIONS. A number of applications for exemption were heard, including some from local bodies. The applications; of the Wellington City Council and the Wanganui City Council were refused. The Union Steam Ship Company and other shipping companies secured exemptions on the ground that they were already bound by an agreement which covered carpenters on shipping work, and that if they entered into other building work they would be bound by that award. The application of the Wellington Harbour Board was agreed to. Those of McLeod Bros., Dunedin, and the Woolston Tanneries were not agreed to.

(Proceeding.)