PLUMBERS' AWARD

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 107, 2 November 1937, Page 5

PLUMBERS' AWARD

EXEMPTIONS SOUGHT

(liy Telegraph—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, November 1,

The contention that maintenance workers, in various industries should be bound by the general. conditions governing those industries rather than by awards applying to their respective occupations was ■ advanced by Mr. W. E., Anderson; secretary to the Auckland Employers' Association,, in" the Arbitration Court when appearing for several groups of employers who, were applying for exemptions from the New Zealand plumbers and gasfitters' award. Mr.- Anderson also asked that the payment of the plumbers concerned in the dispute should be changed f/oni an hourly to a weekly basis.

All Dominion freezing and gas companies, the Auckland Transport Board, the Colonial Sugar Refining Company, Limited, and the United Repairing Company, Limited, sought special conditions under the award and all fertiliser; companies in' ,New Zealand and the :Waikato> Hospital- Board applied for Hota'l-^exemption. ■ ' V ;':

In dealing with'the applications ;individually, Mr. Anderson illustrated his contention with the case of freezing companies. .Various companies worked a 44-hour week over 5i days, killing. being,done on 'Saturday mornings. The-drainage system was then in" use, and :it was. necessary that plumbers should be .on duty., "All maintenance hands employed by freezing companies are just as much part of the industry as are slaughtermen, and it is only common sense that: these hands should follow the conditions of the industry," hs added. They should receive.the award wages to which they were entitled, but other conditions should be those obtaining in the4ndustry as. a whole.

Mr. J. Clark, secretary' of the New Zealand Plumbers and Gasfitters' Federation, said' the plumbers did not want a weekly wage. They should, receive the benefit of the full casual1 .rate of pay, he said.

The hearing was adjourned,