ONE UNION

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 112, 13 May 1937, Page 11

ONE UNION

HARBOUR BOARD STAFFS

CONCILIATION PROCEEDINGS

OBJECTION RAISED

A point of importance to worker.s in craft unions throughout the Dominion was raised at the Conciliation Council today, when objection was made by 25 local craft unions 6 Dominion craft unions to being cited in the dispute between the New Zealand Harbour Boards Employees' Industrial Union of Workers (the applicants) and , the New Zealand Harbour Boards In- ' dustrial Union of Employers (respondents). The applicants have cited 43 harbour boards in New Zealand as parties to the proposed award, and have drawn up conditions of employment covering all employees of boards. Immediately the proceedings opened, Mr. J. Moulton, representing the whole of the skilled trades in New Zealand, lodged an objection to the skilled trades, being added to .the dispute. .He suggested that the' council should adjourn to give the harbour board employees' organisation and the skilled workers an opportunity to. come to an agreement suitable to everyone. "We feel that this" strikes directly, at the skilled workers, because the harbour boards are already covered by agreements," he said. Mr. Moulton said that he would later raise a point as to whether the Conciliation Council had the right to settle the matter at all. Mr. J. Roberts (agent for the workers) said that discussions had already taken place on the subject. The Commissioner (Mr. R. E. Price) said that if the registration permitted the inclusion of all these workers the proceedings could continue. .-■ Mr. Roberts said that the registration covered all harbour board employees. ■ Finally, it was agreed to take preliminary matters only till a meeting was held between the parties. , Objection to'inclusion was also made on behalf of the Marine Engineers' Institute, which, it was stated, was not registered under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Objection was also made by the Marine Department, but on behalf of the Department it was stated that the Department would observe award conditions. The objection was sustained. The, council then proceeded to deal with preliminary matters. WORKERS' CLAIMS. The workers' claims embody a 40----hour five-day week, to be worked betwen Monday and Friday.. The range of wages suggested is as follows:— Harbourmaster's staff, £7 to £7 15s weekly; tugs, £450 to £'475"per annum, £6 10s to £B.los weekly; dredges, £5 to £8 10s weekly; grab dredges, £5 10s to £6 weekly; floating cranes, £5 10s to £8 weekly; riggers, £6 to £7 weekly, divers, £7 weekly; crane drivers, £5 10s to £8 weekly; dock work, £6 10s to £8 10s weekly; engineers' de-. partment, £5 to £7 10s Weekly; con-* struction and maintenance, £5 to £10 weekly (assistant engineer and chief draughtsman); wharf sheds and stores, £5 10s to £7 weekly; stores supply department,' £5 to £8 weekly; . office staff,' £1 10s to' £:8 5s weekly; quarry workers, £2 t6 £6 5s weekly; general employees, £5 10s to £6 10s weekly, lorry and motor drivers, £5 10s weekly; caretakers and watchmen, £4 10s to £6. . ■ Except for shift workers, it is asked that overtime rates at all ports be time and a half from .6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Monday to Friday, and 8 a.m, to noon on Saturday, and double time from 10 p.m. to midnight Monday to Friday, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.. on, Saturday. It is .proposed that Thursday be the day for the payment of wages, and rates for special work arid for special ports are asked for. The terms suggested for the award is one year,'and it is asked that the rates of pay fixed by the award be retrospective to October 1, 1936. . EMPLOYERS' PROPOSALS. . The employers' counter-proposals ask that the agreement shall not apply to workers covered by existing awards, and they seek exemption for executive officers or employees in receipt of not less than £350 per annum. The rates of pay suggested for office workers are the rates in the Wellington Clerical Workers' Award. For non-manual workers, other than office workers, the rate sought is that paid to office workers,.but where 40 hours a week are exceeded it is asked that the wage be increased pro rata in relation to the hours worked.. The rate sought for non-skilled manual workers is 2s lid per hour;. for semi-skilled manual workers, . including crane drivers, drivers of wharf tractors, and men operating hoists and other, appliances for which no certificate is required, 2s 3d an hour; for skilled manual workers, 2s sjSd an hour. The employers seek a 44-hour week, to be worked between 7.30 a.m. and, 5 p.m., Monday to Fri.day, and 7.30 a.m. to noon on Saturday. For clerical workers the hours suggested are those of the department in which they are employed. Provision is included'for a 44-hour fiveday week. Overtime, it is asked, should be computed after eight hours' work, arid paid;for at the rate'of time and a half for the first four hours, and double time after. Overtime on Saturday should begin after noon. Two! years is suggested as" the term of the , award. .' ' . ->

The assessors are: Workers, Messrs. J Roberts (agent), C. Adams (Wellington), S. Land, and A. Neill (Auckland), W. Castles (Timaru), H. D. IMcAven (Napier), J. R. Kenyon (Dunedin), W. P. Butler. (Bluff). Employers, Messrs. W. J. Gardner (agent), Wanganui, D. Holderness (Auckland), A. G. Barnett (Wellington), C. H. Clibborn (Christchurch), V. E. Sanders (Napier), J. Renton (Dunedin), A. G. Foster (Timaru), D. J. McGowan (Wellington).