AGREEMENT ON HOURS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 57, 4 September 1937, Page 15

AGREEMENT ON HOURS

PRINTING TRADES

WAGES IN ABEYANCE

An agreeemeht oii the questibh of hours Was readied yesterday afternoon by the conciliation council deeding with the New Zealand printing and related trades dispute. As no pronouncement regarding standard ; wage rates has yet beeri'made bf the Arbitration Court, the council deferred consideration of wages, and adjourned until September 16. ihe terms of the agrefemelit in regard to hours arid overtime will corrie into operation in the first working week commencing oft of after .September 27. in regard' to ' male Workers it was agreed that the hours of work should riot exceed 46 a week 'in newsapper publishing arid commercial establishments. The hours of Work for female Workers should nbt.exceed 42 in any week, nor nine on "ahy day, the Weekly wages pfescribed by the aWard to be paid oh the, basis of, 40 ho'tirs' Wdfk. Evefy employer was to have the option of fixing the wording week in His establishment at', either 40, 41, lof 42 hours, on condition that if he required 41 hours the wages ■payable should be the aWafd weekly wage plus 24 pet cenfe, or if he required .42 hours the wages payable' shdlild be the award Weekly -.wage plus 5 pet cent. The hours to be, worked in each establishni6llt should be determined by the .employer for periods of at least three months.

Special provisions were made fof Workers in establishments engaged in stationer^ manufacture.- Thfr award Will provide for payment of the "pfes scribed Weekly Wage of 40 hours* wofk. During' the pgfißd from April 1 to August 31 the hours provision in regard tb'femalp workers will apply in such establishments. During the period ffdrri Septemberl 1 to March 31 each employer Will have the option of fixing the working week for male and female employees at not more than 44 hours, Conditional oh wage§ he;ittg increased as folloWs;—Fofr 41 hours, award weekly wage plus 2j per cent; for 42 hours, award weekly wage. plus 5-per cent.; for 43 hbursj award weekly wage plus 74 per cent.; for 44 hours, award weekly wage plus 10 per dent. The hours to be WorkM in each establishment affe to be determined in ad' Vance by the employer' for' periods of not less than a month. Payment f6r overtime is to be at the rate.-of time and a. half up. to four hours on any dayi thereafter double fates. ■• ■•■•■ ,■..-' ' ■ • '' - : . l ;,;AN:ixp.EßiMisN(r.','- '. ■ Mr, Ei W, Clarksdn, agent for the mastei' printers, said that Ui6 em» ployers' assessors had sincerely gone a long Way to meet the wishes of the employees. Nevertheless, they felt that what they had done Was not warranted in the light of economic circumstances. Last year they had realised the difficulties, and this year, in com* ing dOfCvn to leS'sef hours of product tibh, they felt that they did so iti thfe nature of ah experiment. The em* ployEfs could be relied UpOh to do theli? part, but they felt that the proof of the expefhtieht lay with the employees and the response they gave in enabling production to be. maihtained at the highest level in the shorter houfg agreed upon^ . Mr. Ciarkson ; paid a tribute to the Coriciliation Commis-. sioher (Mr. M. J ; HeafdoiD Sot the wise and helpful manner in which he had presided over the proceedings, and remarked aft the conciliatory attitude shown by the -workers' assessors in the interests'of the industry.On'behalf of the WOl'kefs' represehtatives, Mr. C. H. Chapman, M.P.»>ex- ;- pressed appreciation of the settlement reached on hours and other matter and said that there Was no doubt that the printing trade as a whole was experiencing a very prosperous period, which was likely to continue for at least a yeaf or two, The employees had sought a 40-hour week for many years, and he Was gratified that they had at last been successful in their efforts. He Could assure the employers that 09; per cent, of the employees took a pride in. their jobs, and Would continue to give of their best. Mr. Chapman endorsed the remarks made concerning Mr. Heardon. Mr. Ji M. Hardcastle, on behalf of the newspaper proprietors, added his tribute to Mr. Reardoh, and Said their proposals and general attitude, particularly in regard to hours, were based entirely on the conception of an efficient, well-equipped house. The loyalty and enthusiasm of the workers generally were recognised by the employers. Referring to a remark made by Mr. Chapman at the conclusion Of the discussions, that a meeting Of workers in Wellington had proposed stop-work meetings in the event of a satisfactory agreement not being reached, Mr. Hardcastle said that such action could only defeat its own purpose and undermine the relations existing at present between employer and workers. Mr. J. Mclnnarney also expressed the appreciation of the workers' assessors of Mr. Reardon's conduct of the proceedings. Mr. Reardon suitably replied.