LOCAL BODIES

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 133, 2 December 1936, Page 5

LOCAL BODIES

LABOURERS' DISPUTE

CONCILIATION COUNCIL

The industrial dispute of the New Zealand Federation of Local Bodies' Labourers, Builders', Contractors', and General Labourers came before the Conciliation Council yesterday! Mr. M, J. Reardon presided. 2 The parties were represented as fol- j lows:—Employers: Messrs. W. G. Bel- J I ton (Waverley), L. F. Faram (Auckland), J. C. D. Mackky (Masterton),, W. Marshall (Paeroa), K. McKenzie 1 (Geraldine), P. F. Ryan (Weedons), ! and D. I. Macdonald (Christchurch). > Workers: Messrs. L. Glover (Welling-1 ■ ton), R. Shaw (Masterton), R. Harrison i (Dunedin), C. E. Bickford (Gisborne), •M. O'Rorke (Invcrcargill), J. Jones i (Auckland), and Miss M. B. Howard. It was agreed that matters affecting ] city councils, borough councils, and ( town boards, and the Mt. Roskill Road Board should be dealt with at a special! meeting of the Conciliation Council, to j be held probably towards the end of January. Today's proceedings related to counties, road boards, river boards, drainage boards, and rabbit boards, The workers asked for a 40-hour, five-day week. They sought a minimum weekly rate of £4 15s, with additional j rates for specific workers. Overtime, it was asked, should be paid for at the rate of time and a half for the first three hours, and double time thereafter. Work on Sundays, Saturdays, or holidays should be paid for at double ordinary rates. Eight statutory holidays were asked for. Seven days' annual leave on full pay was asked for, thereafter fourteen days' leave. The employers sought an 80-hour fortnight, with a maximum of a ninehour day. At the same time, the employers said they were prepared, whenever practicable, to work a 40-hour, flyerday week. For workers constructing scaffolds, or who were employed at tunnelling work, sinking shafts over 10ft deep or pier holes over 7ft deep, and for popper-drill men or shot-firers, the rate of pay suggested was 2s 3d an hour. For other labourers, the rate suggested was Is lOd per hour. Overtime, it was suggested, should be paid for at the rate of time and a half. Nine single day holidays were suggested, and an annual holiday of one week.