CONCILIATION COUNCIL

Evening Star, Issue 15909, 15 September 1915, Page 9

CONCILIATION COUNCIL

■«. ROPE AND TWINE SPINNERS. AGREEMENT 7 COME TO. When Mr Triggs sat again at 3.30 yesterday to preside over the Conciliation Council called to consider the application of the DUnedin rope and twine spinners for an award in respect to their work at Donaghy's factory, ' Mr Steve Boreham stated that the men had agreed to the employers' proposals with regard to the hours, accepting a week of 48 hours, but they wanted an hour for dinner. As to wages, the men agreed to the employers' proposals,' to pay the head ropemaker Is per hour, assistant ropemaker Is l£d, assistant foreman -Is 3d, and the general hands Is; and as to boys, nothing was said about their wages, but the union asked that there be only one boy to every three fully-paid men. As to overtime, the men asked that it be time and a-quarter the first four hours, then time and a-half. Mr R. M. Passmore pointed out that the Factories Act would not permit boys under 16 years of age commencing work before 7.45 a.m., and the fixing of the hours of work during each day, after allowing for the cessation of work at midday on Saturday, and giving an hour for dinner,, would necessitate work being continued until 5.30 p.m. The men eventually decided to forgo the' demand for an hour for dinner, and accept three-quarters of an hour, so that work could etop at 5.15 p.m< iHIBi A _iong discussion ensued as to the question of boys. The men held out for one boy to three men; the employers asked for six boys to one man. The .Commissioner said that the employers' claim was ridiculous; the highest proportion of boys allowed by the Court was 1 boy to 2 men. Mr Passmore said that the industry was one that could be run for the most part on boy labor, and it was absurd to suggest that anyone should be paid a man's wage for doing a boy's work. It was true that a number of men were at present employed at low wages', and he admitted that they did the work better than boys would, but they were men unsuitable for other employment or men that could not get employment at men's wages at anything else. Again, the industry was on© that did not need apprentices; it was not a trade, and the consequence was that a great many boys entered the factory between the ages of 14 and 16, and left on attaining their sixteenth year to become apprentices to some trade. Apprentices were not accepted in trades before reaching their sixteenth year, the law forbidding it. Nine out of every 10 boys under lo left the factory, and, if deserving, were granted good references. Mr Boreham pointed out that one of the purposes of the New Zealand labor laws was to prevent conditions of child labor and sweating. They must protect the boys, and if the case went to the Court the Court would give that protection. Mr Passmore was emphatic in his objecton, and when the proposal that youths over 18 who had been in constant employment at the factory should receive the minimum wage, he was utterly opposed, and said the case must go to Court. Hardly a youth of 18 was capable of earning the wage. The Commissioner said that if at the end of four years in an industry that needed little or no learning, as Mr Passmore himself asserted; a boy could not earn the minimum wage, then it would be a kindness to send him elsewhere. In any case, there was the provision of the under-rate workers' clause. Mr Boreham said that there would never be the slightest objection to the provisions of that clause being extended to youths ■ who were incapable, but would become capable if given a year or two more at the work. The union had not the slightest wish to place difficulties in the way of the lads earning a livelihood. Mr Passmore continuing firm, the commissioner suggested raising the a<re to 19. The men agreed with soma reluctance, but Mr Passmore stated that he would not agree to less than 20 years. The Commissioner then conferred privately with the employers, and it was announced that'they agreed to 19 being th.6 age. Thereafter there was little difficulty, and an agreement was effected and signed. It provides that the hours of work be 48 per' week, ending at noon on Saturday; for the first five days of the week work to commence at 7.45 a.m. and cease at 5.15 p.m.; three-quarters of an hour for dinner, from neon till a quarter to 1; work on Saturday, to commence at 7.45 a.m. and cease at noon. The minimum rate of wages is Is per hour for head ropemaker, Is per hour for assistant ropemaker, Is 3d per hour for assistant foreman, and Is per hour for general hands. The overtime clause reads: All work worked in excess of 48 hours in any one week shall be paid for at the rate of time and a-quarter Youths up to 19 years of age may be employed in the proportion of one youth to every two men employed. Holidays are fixed as follows-. Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Gccd Friday, Ea6ter Sunday, Sovereign's Birthday, and Labor Day. Work done on Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Good Friday, and Sundays shall be paid for at the rate of double time, and work done on any other of the holidays at time and a-quarter. No worker is to work continuously for more than five hours without a meal, and wages are to be paid weekly. The Court's under-rate and preference clauses are incorporated, the scope of the award is Otago and Southland, and the term two years from the date of its coming into operation. The Commissioner congratulated the assessors for the employers on the fact that the men had met them most fairly, and Mr Sincock and Mr Boreham thanked Mr Triggs for the way in which he had conducted the proceedings.