STONEMASONS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 74, 24 September 1938, Page 11

STONEMASONS

A NEW AWARD

FACTORY ACT HOLIDAYS

An increase in wages in accordance with the pronouncement of the Court in 1937 on rates for skilled, semiskilled, and unskilled workmen and general holidays in accordance with the provisions of the Factories Act are fixed in the New Zealand (except Westland) Stonemasons' Award released by the Court of Arbitration. Hours of work are fixed as in the expired award. Minimum hourly rates of wages for the various classes of workers are:— Stonemasons, 2s 10id; head polisher, 2s 7§d; polisher, saw*tenders, cranedrivers, 2s s£d; all other workers, 2s 4d. .■■■'-. It is further provided: (a) On all outside jobs w,here, four or more workers are employed, the stonemason responsible for carrying out the work and who gives instructions to the other workers shall be paid not less than 2s a day in addition to his ordinary rate of wages. This sub-clause shall not apply to those head workers already provided for in the above classification. (b) An additional l|d an hour in excess of the above rates shall be paid to every stonemason engaged in working imported, sandstone. . (c) When granites are being worked extra remuneration at the rate of 3s a week shall be added to the wages otherwise paid. Overtime is fixed at time and a half for the first four hours and double time thereafter. . It is provided that, subject to thes approval of the Apprenticeship Committee, in all cases, an apprentice, having completed his apprenticeship, may kbe employed as an improver with another employer for not more than twelve months at 2s 6d an hour. JUDGE'S MEMORANDUM. The memorandum of Mr. Justice O'Regan states:— "The principal clauses referred to the Court were those relating to hours of work, wages, holidays, and general conditions. The question of holidays was a matter of some difficulty owing to the fact that, while a majority of the workers covered by the award are probably employed in factories and will be entitled to the conditions prescribed by the Factories Act, numbers of workers are employed in places not subject to the Factories Act. Payment for holidays is not generally granted to workers on hourly rates of wages who are not governed by the Factories Act, but in view of the fact that both classes of workers are in many cases employed by the same employer, and in some cases workers are employed partly in a factory and partly elsewhere, the Court finds it impracticable to differentiate. Payment for the holidays allowed by the Factories Act has therefore been ordained for all. workers covered by the award in this case. In other respects, including the clause relating to.1 terrazzo workers, the award follows the recommendations of the Conciliation Council." The award comes, into force on October 3, and is for a period Pf two years. ...■..''"- ■ ' ;-' •.