CONCILIATION BOARD.

Evening Star, Issue 11453, 22 January 1901, Page 4

CONCILIATION BOARD.

BOILERMAKERS AND SHIPBUILDERS. The Conciliation Board met this morning ; present— Mr F. R. Chapman (chairman) and Messrs J. A. Millar, R. Ferguson, G. P. Farquhar, and J. A. Park. The business was to consider a dispute between the United Boilermakers and Iron Shipbuilders' Union of Otago and the Master Founders of Otago and Southland, the names being J. Johnson and Son, Kelvin street, Invercargill j Southland Engineering ComF, ai K"' Dec street > Invercargill; Morgan, Cable, and Co., Port Chalmers; A. and T' Burt, Cumberland street, Dunedin ; Cossens and Black, Crawford street, Dunedin ; Duncoin Engineering Company, Willis street, Dunedin ; Stevenson a-.ul Poole, Cumberland street, Dunedin; J. Mann, .Stuart street, Dunedin; J. Sparrow, Rattrav street tt harf ; M'Grcgor und Co., Otago Foundry; Otago Central Engineering Company, Alexandra.

The statement of claim was as follows : 1. The hours of lahor to be forty-eight per week, made up as follows:—8J hours for the first five days and 44 hours on Saturdays. 2. All boilcrmakers to receive not less than Is 6d per hour. 3. Boilermakers to include all men working on steam tight work (new or old), repairing, plating, angle iron, flangeing, man in charge of punching machine, furnace work, hydraulic rireting machines, and all riveting.

4. Ail time worked beyond the time mentioned, in hours of labor to be paid at the rate of time and a-half on every"day except Good Friday, Christmas Day,' New Year's Day, Labor Day, and Sundays, which shall be paid at the rate of double time. 5. All boys shall be legally indentured as apprentices for the term of five years. .The proportion of apprentices to "journeymen shall not exceed one apprentice to three journeymen. Apprenticed to be allowed three months' probation. 6. Fare to country work to be paid both ways, also living expenses while on job. Time to count from time of leaving shop till return.

. 7. All boilermakers on repairing work to receive Is per day extra as dirt money. of the Uniu'd Boilermakers and Iron Shipbuilders'. Union of Otago to have preference of enjoyment. 9. > T o one over the age of twenty years be allowed to work as an improver unless he hiis been serving his time with another firm, and can produce a certificate showing the tim 9 he has served at the trade with said firm, and that he leaves with their consent. All men working at any of the said branches of the trade and not complying with these conditions to be classed as journeymen, and to receiv the minimum rata of wage. Mr A. Coif ton (preside;.''. Mr C. Riddell (vice-president), and Mr T. Williamson (secretary) appeared to represent the union; and the employers present were Messrs J. Sparrow, T. Stevenson, A. Burt, J. Cable, J. M'Gregor, A. Black, W. Gardiner, and G. W. Gough (secretary of the Ironfounders' Association, which Ins not yet been registered). Before starting the Chairman said: The clerk of awards has had a communication from the registrar to the effect that Mr James Alexander Park, of Dunedin, las been elected a member of the Board to fII the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr £ise, but we are informed that Mr Park's election has not yet bsen gazetted, consequently he is unable to tender himself to the Judge to be sworn, in. The Board have, however, asked Mr Park to attend to-day to hear the evidence, though he is not actually fitting as a member, because by the time the Board come to hold their deliberative fitting for the purpose of considering the case to be heard to-day he will be fully qualified to sit.

In answer to the Board Mr Colston said that, there were forty-five members of the union, and that they were the majority of the boilermakers in Dunedin. He "had posted the notice to every member, and forty-three ballot papers were received, all being in favor of the resolution. ! Mr Sparrow questioned the accuracy of Mr Colston's statement that the forty-three represented the majority of the boilermakers. He employed forty-five himself, men who were called or called themselves boilermakers.

Further questioned, by.the Chairman, Mr Colston ?akl ths.t there had b Q .en two conferences, ti;n first in January of last year and the second in October.

Mr Colston then opened the cafe for the men. They had no objection to the hours worked in the different shops. As to wages, the present minimum was Is 3d per hour, and the men asked for Is 6d. In this they were simply asking for a restoration of what they consented to lose about 1888, when, things being N slnck. the masters asked them to suffer a, reduction, and promised that when things brightened up the old rate should come in again. The men never thought of asking for that, restoration until twelve months ago, when thincs were booming in the iron trade, but in face of the promise they were met witli a refusal, and to make things worse, the masters passed a resolution to the effect that no employer should employ a man from another shop at a higher rate than he had been receiving at'that- shop. Tt must also be taken into account that tie men's work was laborious both as regarded muscle and heat, and also dangerous. Fifty p?r crnt. of the men were crippled either through deafness or loss of sight. And the conditions of the trade did not stand comparison with the conditions of other employment. Take the case of wharf laborers. Tioilermakers had as heavy lifts, sometimes heavirr, and yet. though the wharf laborers had no brain work, they got better pay. As to overtime, the men did not want it. They had enough to struggle through the eight hours. But if they were required to work extra time they thought the rate asked for was not unfair. As to apprentices, they asked only what the law provided for. Coming to the question of country work Mr Sparrow broke in with the remark that the employers were prepared to make the following arrangement: That travelling expenses and board and lodging be paid while on work in the country, but not more than eight hours to be paid for any one day's travelling.

Mr Colston remarked that that arrangement would be perfectly satisfactory. Mr Sparrow said- he was also prepared to make an arrangement as to dirt money. The employers were willing to pay Is extra per day on all dirty outside repairs, such as repairs to bottoms and insides of flues, etc., of marine and other boilers.

Mr Colston replied that the men thought they .should be paid the extra for all repairing work. Mr Burt stated''the case on behalf of the employers. Firstly he would ask the Board to remember that" the. employers here had to compete, against Victoria and New South Wales. The duty of 5 per cent, on mining machinery was a "mere bagatelle. The difference in wages between New Zealand and Australia- was a serious handicap here. In Sydney boilermakers were paid a minimum of Is 2d per hour with a maximum of Is 6d. Mr Colston asked what works were .referred to. '

Mr Burt said he was quoting from the wages sheets of the Clyde Works and Mort's Dock. At the Clyde Works the pay was from Is 2W to Is 3d. But there was also the question of fuel. The Sydney foundries got/hard Newcastle coal at*lss 6d per ton —the class of coal that cost 30s in Dunedin. Coke at 27s 6d and 29s in Sydney cost here 50s and 565. These matters ought to be thought of. If the high wages 'asked for hero were the means of driving work away it was time to stop and consider the position. The men asked Is' 6d as a minimum. What the employers thought a fair thing was that boilermakers should be paid Is lid as a minimum, though that was not to say they would not give a good man Is 6d, whilst riveters should get not less than Is per hour. The employers also desired to define boilermakers as men who have been not less than seven years at the trade and are able to acquit themselves in all work connected with the construction of a boiler, whilst riveters and punchers should be considered a branch of and classed separately from boilermakers. On the question of overtime the employers were willing that all the time worked beyond forty-eight hours should be paid for at the rate of time and a-quarter, and double time for Good Friday, Christmas Day, and Sundays. As to apprentices, the proportion of one to three journeymen was unworkable. In a short time the supply of workmen would run out. Besides, it would be a standing shame to exclude eligible boys from learning a. trade. The employers would not be a

party to making the present workmen aclose corporation, therefore this clause wast entirely disagreed with. On the question of preference, there were between 200 and 300 workmen in-Otago, -and according to the statement of claim these were to be cornered for the benefit of the forty-five members of the union. The proposal was absurd. The employers also objected entirely to the demand with respect to improvers. He was willing, if it would settle the boy question, to revert to tha indenture system, though he had not found it work satisfactorily. Mr Williamson followed on behalf of the men. and Mr Sparrow spoke at length in advocating fh<* caure of the employers. The Board then adjourned.till the afternoon, when the taking of evidence was gone i on with.

On resuming at 3 p.m. Mr Colston called as witnesses Joseph Sparrow, John Cable, and Thomas Williamson.

Mr Burt, jun.. examined A. Colston, and Mr Sparrow called A. Black. Mr Stevenson put in a statement regarding the wages in Sydney and also addressed the Court. The Chairman intimated that-the Board would give their decision-on the 2nd"Februarv.

The metal-workers' dispute is adjourned to Thursday, the butchers' to Friday, and the plasterers' till next Monday.