NEW AWARD SOUGHT

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 130, 28 November 1940, Page 12

NEW AWARD SOUGHT

WOOLLEN MILL HANDS

SUBSTANTIAL WAGE

DEMANDS

An application by the New Zealand Federated Woollen Mills and Hosiery Factories Employees' Industrial Association of Workers is being heard by the Arbitration Court.

The assessors for the employees are Messrs. W. T. Young (advocate), W. W. Batchelor (secretary of the New Zealand . Woollen Workers' Federation), E. C. Harper (secretary of the Canterbury Woollen Mills' Union), and T. Long (secretary of the Auckland Woollen Mills' Union).

Mr. A. S. Cookson, Dunedin, secretary of the New Zealand Woollen Mill Owners' Association, is appearing for the employers, and is supported by Mr. W. R. Carey, Christchurch, president of the New Zealand Woollen Mill Owners' Association and general manager of the Kaiapoi Woollen Company. Having dealt with the amended classifications sought in woollen mills, hosiery factories, and carpet factories, Mr. Young asked for an increase of 20 per cent, on present award rates in all cases of adult males. As the claims were adopted in 1939 and the Court's order to increase wages 5 per cent, operated from August last, it was plain,. said Mr. Young, that the applicants' 20 per cent: claim was now reduced to 15 per cent. The abolition of hourly rates and the substitution of a weekly wage for all workers other than pieceworkers was sought, to obviate the standing off of workers for any. number of hours in a week and the paying of them only for the actual time worked.

Between the Court orders of 1937 and 1940, said Mr. Young, all groups of living costs rose by some 10 per cent, plus the national security tax of 5 per cent, for war purposes, so that in August last the workers were worse off by 15 per cent, than they were in November, 1937. When the dispute was before the Court in March, 1938, the all groups cost of living would be about the same as that of some four months previously, so it was patent that the workers were in a 10 per cent, worse position at present. Wages had lagged behind prices. EMPLOYERS' COUNTERPROPOSALS. The employers' counter-proposals were for the existing award, with substitutes which included the following clauses:— "The ordinary hours of work shall be forty-four in each week, to be worked from Monday to Friday, both days inclusive, between the hours of 7.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m., with an interval of not less than forty-five minutes between 12. noon and 2 p.m."

"No payment at overtime rates shall be made to any worker unless and until he or she shall have completed forty-four hours' work in the week in which any work is done outside the ordinary hours."

(Proceeding.)