ARBITRATION COURT.

Evening Star, Issue 12699, 27 June 1907, Page 6

ARBITRATION COURT.

PAINTERS' DISPUTE.

Notice has been filed with the Clerk of Awards (Mr Stnbbs) of a dispute between the Otago Painters' Union of Employers and the Dunedin Painters' Union of ers and other employers in Dunedin and suburbs. The Painters' Union of Workers and twenty-three employees are cited. The proposed reference is as follows:—•

The hours of work shall be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on fivo days of the ■week, and from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays,_ one hour'to be allowed each day for dinner (Saturdays excepted), from the Ist day of August to the -31st day of May (both inclusive), and from the Ist day of May to the 31st dav of July (both inclusive) from 8. a-m. to 4.30 p.m. on five days of the week, and from B_a.ra. to noon on Saturdays, half an hour to be allowed for dinner each day (Saturdays excepted). The minimum wage for fully-competent journeymen painters shall be Is 3d per hour. Any worker who considers himself incapable of earning the minimum wage may be paid such lower wage as may from time to time be fixed, on the application of the employee, after twenty-four hours' notice to the union, by the chairman of the Conciliation Board, or snch other person as the Court may from time to time appoint for that purpose; and such chairman or person, in so fixing such wage, shall have regard to the worker's capability, his past earnings, and such other circumstances as such chairman or person may think fit to consider after hearing such evidence and argument as the union and such employee shall offer, and, upon granting such a permit, the chairman or other person shall forward notice thereof to the Inspector of Factories. Whenever occasion arises for so fixing an employee's wage, it shall be fixed for such period not exceeding six months as snch chairman or other person shall determine, and after the expiration of the said period until fourteen days' notice shall have been given to him by the secretary of the union requiring him to have his wages again fixed in manner prescribed by this clause: Provided that in the case of any person whose wage is so fixed by reason of old age or permanent disability, it may be fixed for such longer period as such chairman or other person shall think fit. It shall, notwithstanding the foregoing, be competent for an employeo to agree with the president or secretary of the union upon snch wage without having the same so fixed. It shall be the - duty of the union to give notice to the Inspector of Factories of every agreement made with an employee pursuant hereto. It shall be the duty of an employer, before employing a man at such lower wage, to examine the permit or agreement by which such wage is fixed. All lime worked beyond the trmo mentioned in clause 1 hereof shall be considered overtime, and shall be paid for as follows:—Time and a-quarter. from the ordinary hour of ceasing work up to 8 p.m.; between 8 p.m. and midnight, time and a-half; between midnight and the ordinary hour for commencing work, double time; and on Saturdays, from the ordinary time of closing till midnight, time and a-half. If a workman is required to commence work before 8 a.m. on any working day, he shall, if the hour at which he is required to commence his work be earlier than 6 a.m., be paid double time for all time worked up to 8 a.m., and if the said hour of commencement is not earlier than 6 a.m. he shall be paid, time and a-ouarter for work done up to 8 a.m. Work done on Sundays, Christmas Day, and Good Friday shall be paid for at the rate of double time, and on the otfier holidays at the rate of time and a-half. <?

The following shall be the recognised holidays to be observed: —Ist and 2nd January, Good Friday, Easter Monday, labor Day, King's Birthday, Christmas < Day, Boxing Day, and the day appointed for the painters' annual picnic . AH wages earned by any journeyman or apprentice in any one week 6hall be paid to him by his employer on Friday or Saturday on each week, at the option, of the employer.. If payment shall be made on Saturdav, then snch payment shall' be made not fater than 1 p.m. In the event of any journeyman being discharged, he shall be paid the wages due to. him in full immediately on hifi diecharge. "Country work" means work performed by a journeyman or apprentice which, in the opinion of the employer, necessitates his lodging elsewhere than at his usual place of, residence.

I Any journeyman or apprentice employed ' oh country work shall be conveyed by bis : employer to and from - such • work free of I charge, or hii traveDbng expenses going to and returning from stieh work shall bo-paid by • such' employer, b«t once only during

the oanthraanca of tho -work if the work be continuous, and the. journeyman or apprentice is .not in the meantime recalled by'his employer. Any journeyMan or apprentice employed on country work shall bo paid,- in addition to, his -wages while employed on Each work and while going to and returning from the same, ,and to his overtime (if any), at the rate .herein provided, a further earn of Is 6d for every day -whilst bo employed; but the employer snail-have the option of providing the journeyman or. apprentice with suitable board and lodging in lien of such payment. Notwithstanding anything in this awaid contained, any employer and his workman may agree that in respect of any specified country work the hours of work shall be other than those hereinbefore prescribed without payment of overtime, but so tiiat sot less than the minimum wage per hour prescribed in Ais, award for ordinary work shall be. paid: to such workman. !. "Suburban work" means work performed by a journeyman or an apprentice at a distance of over two-miles from the Chief Post Office, Dunodm, but which does not come within the definition of country work. Any. journeyman or apprentice employed upon suburban' work shall be paid ih addition to ordinary rates a further sum of 6d per day per n£le, chargeable one way only, beyond limit of radios, or the employer convey the -workman free of charge to and from such wort Workmen to be at Cnief Post Office, Docedia, when conveyance is provided not later than 7.50 a.m. This shall also apply to apprentices. Provided that this ctauee ehaH not apply to any workman residing within two miles of tho work.

Tho proportion of apprentice to journeymen employed by any employer shall not exceed one apprentice to every three journeymen or fraction of three. J?or -the purpose of determining the proportion of apprentices to journeymen in taking any new apprentice, the calculation shall be based on two-thirds full-time employment of the journeymen employed during the previous six calendar months. The period of apprenticeship shall be five years, bui three months' probation shall be allowed the first employer of any apprentice to determine his fitness, such three months to be inchided in the period of apprenticeship. Any employer taking an apprentice to learn the trade shall be deemed to undertake the duty which he agrees to perform as a duty enforceabia under this award, and shall pay snch apprentice not less than the under-mentioned rates of wages—namely: For the first year, 6s per week; for the second year, 10s per week; for the third year, 35s per week; for the fourth year, £1 per week; for the fifth year, £1 6s per week. At the end of the period of apprenticeship the employer shall give the apprentice a certificate to show that he has served his apprenticeship. Should the employer at any time before the termination of tho apprenticeship wish, for any reason, to dispense with tie services of the apprentice, be ahall give him a. certificate for the time served, and procure him another employer carrying on business within a reasonable distance of the original employer's place of buauKas, who will continue to teach the apprentice, to pay him the wages prescribed by this award according to the total length of time he has served, and generally to perform the obligation of the original employer; provided that it shall not be obligatory on an employer to find the apprentice another employer if he shall so misconduct himself as to entitle the employer to discharge him, but he shall ghw hhn a certificate covering the time actually served. An employer taking on apprentice shall give notice thereof, and of the name of the apprentice to the inspector of factories within one week after the expiration of the period of probiition, and an employer transferring an apprentice, to another employer shall, similarly within one week thereof, give notice of *sacb transfer to each inspector.

An employer shall not be deemed to discharge bis, duty towards his apprentice if he fails to keep him at work owing to slackness of work, but such slackness may form a proper ground for transferring him to a master n-illing to undertake the responsibility of teaching him.

When an anprentico is discharged for causa, the employer shall scad notice of the discharge and too cause thereof to the inspector of factories. Existing arrangements with or relating to apprentices now serving any employer way continue, provided that any employer wishing finch arrangements to continue shall forward tbo names of his present apprentices U> the inspector of factories withiu one month after the filing of this award. Should it be the desire of an, apprentice having served five years to take service in the employment of any employer with, a view of improving his general knowledge of the trade, it shall be lawful for him to serve a further term of twelve months at a romimnm rate of £1 10s per week. Nothing in the foregoing clauses contained shall be deemed to prevent any employer from employing his- am or sons in his basinets for tbo purpose of teaching him or them the trade or any branches of the trade of a painter, notwithstanding that such employer may, without such son or sons, have the fall number of apprentices allowed by this award. No employer ehall, in the engagement or dwmwsal of his hands, discriminate against meters of the union, nor in the conduct of bio business do anything for the purpose of injuring tho union, whether directly or indirectly. When members of -tho union and nonmembers are employed together, both, shall work together in harmony, and shall receive equal pay for equal work, and there shall be no distinction between them. >