INDUSTRIAL AWARD

Evening Star, Issue 22973, 2 June 1938, Page 20

INDUSTRIAL AWARD

DOMINION WOOLLEN MILLS' EMPLOYEES WAGES AND CONDITIONS OF WORK The Arbitration Court has filed its award covering the wages and working conditions of woollen mills’ employees throughout the Dominion. The award will apply to the manufacture of all woven and machine-knitted fabrics and hosiery produced from wool, silk, rayon, or cotton The award provides for , a 40-honr week, to be worked from Monday to Friday. Subject to the provisions of the Factories Act, shifts may be worked outside the ordinary hours as required by the employer. Overtime is to be paid for at the following rates: —-Time and a-half for the first three hours, and double time thereafter until the recognised starting time next day. Wages have been fixed as follows: — Adult males in woollen mills—Tuners, hosiery mechanic, 2s 9d an hour; wool sorter, hand loom weaver, warpers, spinners (woollen), assistant carders, assistant comber, 2s 7d; head pressers, wool scourers, blanket raisers, fettlers, hosiery scourers, yarn storemen, drawers and twisters-in, croppers, and chain minders, 2s 5Jd; wool blenders, yarn store assistants, finishing room workers, dye house workers, milling room workers, piece rollers, teuterers, wool dryers, comb minders, carding machinemen, and other adult males, 2s 4d. Flue cleaning is to be paid for at the rate of 3s 6d an hour, or by contract. In the case of adult females, the minimum wage, except where otherwise provided, is to be Is 3d an hour for those who have served three years and upwards. Boys under the age of 18 years mav be employed at not less than the following rates, provided that on attain ing 18 they be paid in accordance with the scale for youths :—First six months, 18s; second six months, £1 2s 6d; third six months, £1 7s ; fourth six iponths, £1 11s 6d; fifth six months, £1 16s; sixth six months, £2; seventh six month, £2 4s; eighth six months, £2 Bs. Youths of 18 years of age or over may be employed at not less than the following rates: —18 to 19 years of age, Is 2d an hour; 19 to 20 years of age, Is 4i; 20 to 21 years of age, Is 6jd. The minimum rates of wages for junior females shall be as follows: First six months, 17s a week; second six months, £1 Is; third six months, £1 ss; fourth six months, £1 9s; fifth six moriths, £1 13s; sixth six months, £1 17s; seventh six months, £2 Is; eighth six months, £2 ss. No worker of the age of 21 years and upwards shall be paid less than the basic wage for the time being prevailing. Provision is made for rates for piecework, and any pieceworker (except a weaver of four .-rears’ experience) who does not average in any week the minimum time rate shall have his or her wages made up to that amount. Any weaver of four years’ experience who does not average the minimum wage over a period of four weeks shall have his or her wages made up to that amount. Carpe’t weavers, if not employed on piecework, shall be paid a time wage of not less than 10 per cent, in excess of the time rates provided herein. If employed on piecework the piecework rates shall be calculated as for weavers. An annual holiday of one week on full pay shall be allowed to all workers on completion of each year of service, such holidays to be given at a time suitable to the employer. The weaving of patterns by female workers shall be at a time rate of 20 per cent, additional to the adult female time rate. The award is to operate throughout the Northern, Wellington, Canterbury, and Otago and Southland industrial districts. It will come into force on June 6. and will continue in force till June 6, IP4O.