LOCAL BODY WORKERS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 150, 26 June 1937, Page 21

LOCAL BODY WORKERS

AGREEMENT ON HOURS

The hours of employment for local body workers in the Wellington industrial district, -excepting those employed by harbour boards an 3 county councils, the ' Wellington and Wanganui City Councils, and the Masterton Bdrough Council, were fixed when the dispute 'was resumed before Mr. S. Ritchie, Conciliation Commissioner, today i ; .-■'.'■ In the1 main the provisions adopted were those of the Wellington municipal workers' award,' but the following principal' clause was substituted for that in the award: "Except where otherwise provided the ordinary hours of work shajrb'e,4d per week, not exceeding eight per day, to be worked between,7.3o a.m. and:s.p.m. from Monday .to Friday, inclusive." Provision for variation of the hours in' any class of work .by -mutual arrangement between the employer and the union was also agreed to. . . -.

i On the wages1 question, the workers' assessors proposed a weekly rate of £4 10s, with'lo per cent.'increase for casual ■• employees on the : hourly basis. The latter proviso: was subsequently withdrawn and replaced by a proposal to pay casual workers 2s 4d per hour; or Id more than the equivalent rate for weekly workers, employers' to have the option of employing men on either a weekly or an hourly : basis.

Mr. C. J. Ashton (Lower Hutt), one of the assessors for the employers, said he was unable to agree to this, and pending his further consideration of the question the proceedings were adjourned until this afternoon.