CARPENTERS AND JOINERS

Evening Star, Issue 18334, 23 July 1923, Page 8

CARPENTERS AND JOINERS

DOMINION AWARD. WAGE ABOVE SKILLED STANDARD. BROKEN TIME, DEAR TOOLS. [Pee United Pekss Association.] AUCKLAND, July 23. The first dominion award under the legislation passed in 1922 was made to-day by the Arbitration Court, when its decision iu connection with the carpenters and joiners’ dispute, recently heard in Wellington, was filed. There are 2,500 employers attached as parties, and the matters referred to the court were wages, overtime, suburban work, country work, preference, and exemptions. In a- memorandum attached to the award Mr Justice Frazer deals with those very fully. Mr Scott, the employers’ representative, disagreed with His Honor and Mr Hunter (the workers’ representative) in increasing the wages of carpenters on outside jobs by ]d per hour above tbo standard rate for skilled workers. The hours are to be fifty-five (?) per week, and the minimum wage for carpenters and joiners’ machinists is fixed at 2s 2£d per hour for outside workers, and 2s IJd for factory workers. The award comes into force on August 6, and operates for two years. POSITION REVIEWED. HIS HONOR’S STATEMENT. The carpenters’ award replaces a number of separate local awards, and applies to every district, with the exception of Marlborough and Westland, in which districts there are no unions affiliated to the New Zealand Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners. In making the terms known, Mr Justice Frazer said ; We have fixed overtime in accordance with the general practice of tbo court—i.e., time and a-half for the first four hours and double time thereafter. For suburban work wo have adopted a clause.that embodies a uniform I principle, but in some districts a variation | of details may bo desirable, and we have reserved the power to make such varia- ! lions. _ The country work clause, with the exception of tho amount of boarding allowance, was agreed to in the Conciliation Council, but two sub-clauses required amendment, and wo have amended these to make their intention clear. The rate of boarding allowance varied in tho old awards from 3s 4d to 5s per day. Tbo higher rate was fixed at a time when accommodation was more expensive and more difficult to obtain Hum at present. IV c have fixed it at 4s 2d per day. The form of the preference clause occasioned considerable discussion at the hearing. In nearly ail districts the. notification danse and tho workers’ list clause had been agreed to in the past, though in a few districts the court’s preference clause was in force. There was also, in the case of Canterbury, dispute over two small unions not affiliated to the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners, which had in the past been granted equal preference with the unions affiliated. The small unions are duty registered under the Act, and, though the causes for their coming into existence may have disappeared, their existence is a fact, and they are entitled to consideration. Their rules appear to be in conflict with tho conditions upon which the court grants preference, and we have accordingly withheld preference from them until their rules are amended. The clause in the general conditions relating to tho prohibition of piecework was agreed upon by the parties in the Conciliation Council. Wo have reserved tho power to amend the clause, for it appears to us that undue restrictions on piecework should not be encouraged. Ob the matter of wages the court was divided. Mr Scott dissents from the judgment of the majority (Mr Hunter and myself). The court, for some years past has fixed the -.standard rate for skilled workers, which now, after the necessaiy cost of living adjustments have been made, stands at 2s’ l-jd per hour. It has, however, allowed an extra l£d per hour to the. bricklayers, stonemasons, and plasterers—principally because, these workers lose more lime through wot weather and other causes than tho average, skilled worker. The standard rate of 2s l]d per hour is a casual rate, and allows for a proportion of broken time. It also includes an allowance for tho upkeep of tools, while recognising the principle that the worker himself is responsible for equipping himself for his work. A majority of the court lias come to tho decision' that tho average carpenter ordinarily loses more through broken time, owing to weather conditions, than Hie average skilled worker, though not to (he same extent as bricklayers, stonemasons, and plasterers, and that the cost of carpenters’ tools is 1 a larger item than in Hie case of other skilled workers, and lias been increased of ; late years in a greater ratio than the cost of living. For these reasons | tho majority of the court, awarded carpen- 1 ters on outside jobs |d per hour above the standard rate for skilled workers. We have retained the standard rate for those workers who are employed in woodwork factories.”