THE CONCILIATION BOARD

Evening Star, Issue 11627, 11 July 1902, Page 8

THE CONCILIATION BOARD

A DISPUTE HAPPILY SETTLED. EVERYBODY SATISFIED. The Conciliation Board *mct this morning ; present—Mr Bathgate (chairman) and Messrs Ferguson, HaUy, M’Gregor, and Scott. The Chairman announced the Board’s recommendations in the dispute between the Saddlers, Harness and CoUannakers* Union and the Master Saddlers of Otago and Southland. ’ . Mr J. B. M’Callnm (president) and Mr A. M’Kenzie (secretary) represented the employers’ society, and Mr J. Trcmbath (president of the union) was in attendance on behalf of the workers. When the recommendation was read these representatives d’senssed it and suggested two or three slight amendments. These amendments were accepted by the Board, and the chairman signed the recommendation as it here appears;— “That the parties to the said dispute enter into an industrial agreement for a period commencing immediately after the expiry of one. month from the filing hereof, and enduring until the first day of September, 1904, the agreement to contain the following provisions:— “1. The hours of work shall be fortyeight (48) in each week. On Saturday in each week the hours of. work shall expire not later than 1 p.m. All work worked beyond the time mentioned in this clause, or on holidays, shall be construed overtime, and shall be paid for at the rate of time and a-qnarter for the first four hours, time and a-half after 10 p;m. Double time after midnight up to 6 a.m. on any day except the days mentioned in paragraph No. 12 hereof, which days all work shall be paid for at the rate of double time, and Sundays double time. Provided that no overtime shall be paid for in any one week until the forty-eight hours shall have been worked, time lost through sickness or public holidays excepted. “2. Only three classes of workers shall be recognised or employed—-viz.. Journeymen (which expression shall include journeymen and joumeywomen), apprentices, and female stitchers. “3. Every journeyman working at any Dtanch of the trade (except as hereinafter mentioned) shall be paid not less than £2 3s per week. 4. Any journeyman who considers himself not capable of earning the minimum wage may be paid such .ess wage as may from time to time be agreed npon in writing between any worker and the president or secretary of the union, and if any such lie employed, that notification of the wageo paid and the names of the journeyman and of the employer to ho sent to the president or secretary of the Otago and Southland Master Saddlers’ Society, and in case of difference such wage as shall bo -settled in writing by the chairman of the Conciliation Board for the said district. “; 5 - Tke wages of female stitchers shall he fixed in manner similar to that provided in clause 4 for fixing tho wages of an incompetent workman. “6. All boys working in any branch of (be trade shall be legajj indentured as apprentices for the term of five years, but =veiy boy so employed may be allowed .hree calendar months’ probation prior to being so indentured, such period, if such i>oy be indentured at the end of such period lo be counted as part of the said period of five years. When an apprentice shall have perved four years of his term, another apR i entice may be taken on so as to enable xe former to better qualify himself to become a competent journeyman. 7. That in all branches of the trade two boys be allowed to every three journeymen, or one to a fraction, of three. In retail shops the master to count as a journeyman. J 8. For the purpose of determining the proportion of apprentices to journeymen in taking any new apprentice the calculation shall be based on a two-thirds full time employment of competent journeymen employed during the previous three calendar months. “9. The wages for apprentices shall be a s follows First year, 5s per week; second ffear, 8s 6d per week; third year, 11s per week; fourth year, 15s per week; fifth year, £1 per week. “ 10. That all females employed in the trade bo paid, a weekly wage. “ 11. Female stitchers’ in the saddlery branches to be barred from panel-making. “12. Preference of employment to be given to unionists. “ 15. The following days shall be recognised holidays in all branches : —Good Friday, Easter Monday, the King’s Birthday, Christmas Dav, New Year’s Day, and Labor Day.” Mr Trembath said that before leaving he would like to thank the Board for the patient manner in which they had addressed themselves to the dispute, and he also deemed it a duty to acknowledge the friendly and courteous behaviour of the employers’ representatives. When he entered upon the business it was with a certain amount of fear that it would be a troublesome job, but the amiability of the employers’ representatives had made it a pleasure to confer with them and helped towards arriving at what he thought was a fair award. The Chairman remarked that it was very rath factory to hear Mr Trembath speaking iii such terms and gratifying to know that iha dispute had been happily settled.