ARBITRATION COURT

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 August 1942, Page 2

ARBITRATION COURT

SITTING IN GREYMOUTH. t GOLD DREDGE DISPUTE A sitting of the Arbitration Court opened in Greymouth yesterday to hear representations on the Westland Gold Dredge and Alluvial Gold Mines dispute, referred to it by the Conciliation Commissioner (Mr. S. Ritchie). Mr. Justice Tyndall presided, with him being Messrs W. Cecil Prime (employers’ representative), and A. L. Monteith (workers’ representative). Mr. J. E. Laing presented the case for the employees and Mr. H. F. Rutland stated the case for the employers. In a lengthy submission to • the Court, Mr. Laing pointed out that the dispute was confined entirely to the employees in the gold-dredging and alluvial gold-mining industry in the Westland district. The issues in dispute, respecting wages covered: (a) Classification of watchmen on dredges and employees at sluicing claims, wages; (b) wages and special allows ances; (c) deletion of clause in existing award referring to non-paying alluvial mines. One sitting of the Conciliation Council in the dispute had been held and an agreement reached on the machinery clauses and one or two additions to existing clauses. “Since the last Award was issued two of the then existing dredges have ceased operations, the Argo dredge near Blackball, and White’s Electric dredge at Barrytown, both of them ceasing operations owing to having worked out their areas. One sluicing claim, Waitahu, has ceased operations for the duration of the war. Four new dredges at Marsden, Red Jacks, Atarau and Mai Mai commenced dredging operations, and one dredge at Waipuna, formerly White’s Electric dredge, is at present being reconstructed and, all going well, will be dredging within a few months,” said Mr. Laing. “Diminishing man-power has effected no curtailment in the scope of the industry, which, in fact, as far as the number of operating dredges are concerned, has increased. Much has

been made by the employers of the shortage of man-power, but with the exception of Okarito Dredge all are maintaining three digging shifts per day. “Referring to the Court’s memorandum to the last award and the words ‘the imperative necessity of maintaining and, if at all possible, increasing our gold output,’ I would suggest that since the last Award was made there has been a radical change so far as the necessity for gold is concerned. “Gold produced by the dredges has shown an increase instead of a decrease as might have been expected with a shortage of man-power, and difficulty in obtaining materials. For the year ending June 30, 1942, the amount of gold produced by dredges on the West Coast was 83,229 ounces as compared with 68,397 ounces for the year ending June 30, 1941, so the Court will know how to treat any plea that the industry could not stand an increase.

Hours of Work: The Union, in its claims has sought a 40-hour week, to be worked from Monday to Friday, inclusive, to be worked between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., and asks that the hours of the shifts be definitely set out in the award. It also asks that each man be allowed half-an-hour for a meal, and to be naih for. such half-hour and, further, that each man shall be relieved durm£ meal t'rne. “The Union would like a definite meal hour specified in the award for day workers, say 12 to 12.30. On repairs and breakdowns the men frequently are compelled to work on 2 o’clock and sometimes later before an opportunity to have lunch is allowed. The men have their breakfasts in the majority of cases before 7 a.m., and any prolongation of time after noon before lunch time is allowed is entirely unfair to them. Wages and Classification: The on' |,; classification not agreed to in the dredge section was watchman (day or night) The watchmen who rre members of the Union or regular employees of the company are covered by the overtime clause of the award, but on several of the dredges the week-end and holiday watches are done by elderly men or men who are not in regular employment. It is desired that these be covered, and that an adequate rate of wages be fixed for them. We would again press for the deletion of the clause giving the right of secret ballot on non-paying claims for the workers to be paid a lower rate of pay. We also ask that the wages of workers in alluvial claims be brought up to the same level as the men on the dredges.

Mr Laing pressed for an increased rate for strikers, an allowance for particularly dirty jobs, extra pay for welders and burners, ranging from 1/6 to 2/- per day, an additional 6ci per hour for rope-splicing, and 1/a day extra for shift men or day men required to work for three hours or more at maintenance or repair work requiring the use of tools of trade. OVERTIME COMPUTATION “The present award provides for overtime at the rate of time and ahalf for the first four hours and double-time thereafter, and the Union is seeking that double time be paid after three hours. The claim reads, ‘work done in excess of the hours prescribed in clause 2 hereof, or in excess of eight hours in any one day.’ The Union requests that these words be put in the overtime clause, as the claim was put forward by one company during the past year that it could work men for 48 hours before overtime was payable. The Union is seeking that where overtime enters into the next day the hours of work shall be regarded as continuous and the overtime rates shall apply to prevent any attempt, which may be made to regard work done on the succeeding day as the commencement of another shift. A four-hour minimum is sought where a worker turns out to work and is notified that there is no work for the day. This is reasonable on account of the long distance most of the men have to travel to and from work. Treble time is sought for any work done on Sundays after eight hours. The Union is requesting that the eight ‘special’ days, New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day, the Sovereign’s Birthday, Labour Day, ChristmasiDay and Boxing Day, be paid holidays. No work is done throughout the alluvial mining industry on any of the days mentioned. The retention of the provision for double-time rates for work done on holidays is also sought. The Union is asking that the qualifying period of three months’ service in each year of employment for annual holidays be deleted, and that the worker be entitled to a holiday on the basis of one day for each 16 days or fraction of 16 days worked by him during the year.” The Union sought to retain the words “more than one day” in the absence from work clause, reading: “Any worker absenting himself from work for more than one day without first having obtained the permission of the management shall be deemed to have left his employment without notice. This shall not apply in cases of sickness. Travelling time was sought where a dredge claim or drilling plant was more than a quarter of a mile from the nearest point of road access, also where workers were required to work at such a distance from the nearest suitable accommodation as to necessitate more than hajf-an-hour’s travelling time each way by bicycle. Where the plant was a considerable distance from the road the worker should receive some

compSnsation for distances he had to walk to his job in all weathers and ac all times of the day or night. It was claimed there was a moral obligation on the' employer to provide adequate accommodation. Gumbqots or suitable substitutes- for .men in wet places were sought. The Union asked that wash-up men be paid 1/- a day extra instead of 6d per shift. Finally, Mr Laing requested that the term of the award be not longer than 12 months, in view of the present uncertainty. EVIDENCE TENDERED.

Mr. Laing indicated he proposed to call three witnesses. George Humbers Neilson, a bush winchman employed at the Arahura Dredge, and President of the Union, with nine years experience (two as dredgemaster in Thailand) contended the continual vibration and noise on a dredge, in conjunction with shift work, affected a man’s nerves and produced deafness. From his experience coal mine conditions were “a long way ahead” of dredging conditions. He considered work on sluicing claims was more arduous than dredging and that a nozzle man should be paid more than an ordinary dredge worker because of greater danger and discomfort, and the heavier responsibility he bore. He considered crib time should be allowed men in case of repairs being effected to dredges; a quarter of an hour break would suffice. On the Arahura Dredge, owing to replacements, the more experienced men had a heavier burden as the new hands had not had the same practice. Dirt money should be paid for work on gearboxes, putting in screen plates, on pontoons, and in similar duties. The Arahura dredge employed five or six men on shift' work who cycled some eight and a half miles from Hokitika; other travelled in an old “bus,” owned by a workman; still others obtained lifts. Witness said it cost 1/- a day for travelling expenses. His company adhered strictly to the terms of the award, but .he knew other companies were paying certain classes of tradesmen more than the award rates. ~ , To Mr. Butland: Witness said he had never lost any time through sickness arising out of nervous strain. On an average the men worked on till 1.30 or 2 o’clock without crib once a week on the Arahura Dredge. Mr. Butland asked witness how he expected the 40-hour week claimed, working 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily Monday to Friday, to operate if half an hour crib time daily were allowed. Witness: Mr. Butland is asking me to work miracles. His Honor: You are asking the Court to work miracles. Witness: There are miracles on both sides. To Mr. Butland, witness said men employed in coal mines paid their own fares, however, they were covered by insurance, whereas gold workers were not covered. Witness, continuing, said that there had not, to his knowlede, been any change in conditions at Arahura since the last award was made in May, 1941. , 7 . To His Honor: A man should be a reasonably efficient general hand, though not an expert, within 12 months. Cyril Howard Harrison, a fitter employed on the Arahura dredge, with 17-18 years’ experience, said he had been three years, in his. present employ, formerly being with the Kanieri and Rimu dredges. Saying ho was for 13 years engaged in workshop duties, witness added he was now continuously employed on the dredge, and found conditions there much more difficult, owing to noise, vibration, and wetness He was always called upon to exercise ingenuity, and bore extra worry. A fitter was liable to be called out at all hours, and frequently at crib times. Quite, often witness had not been able to secure his lunch at noon, which was sometimes delayed as late as 2 p.m. Tradesmen supplied thenown precision tools. Welding and turning were particularly vicious on clothing, and witness, had ruined a new suit of overalls in a day while carrying out this work. He left home at 7 a.m. and did not return till 5.45 p.m.; he had to be at the dredge by 7.45 a.m., and worked 8 4 hours. Yardage had fallen off, but he had not noticed a falling off m monthly gold returns. Gum boots were essential about a dredge, though the men did not like wearing them owing to the weight; as a result thenfeet were always wet. He thought 6d a shift extra for wash-up men was little enough, particularly in the WinTo Mr. Butland witness said no welding was done in the shop, but on the dredge, often under difficult conclitions, as a result of which clothing became damaged. He agreed the yardage and gold returns did not give a fair indication of the length of time the dredge operated. Witn the state of the equipment he did not think that at present anyone could arrive at a valuation of the Arahura Flat At his dredge conditions were such that he did not believe it was necessary to pay height money. To His Honor witness said yardage had been reduced because the bucket line had been weakened through use, leading to fractures, and there was a faulty gearbox, which required “nursing.” . . , Re-examined, witness said the men had agreed to work the 48. t hour week while certain repair work w a s in hand, and it was not essential that this continue in force. The men at Arahura were a very happy .family, largely as a result of the considerateness of the dredge master. It was not the practice for other dredges to experience such good treatment from the masters. Robert Ross McDonald, a boilei maker welder employed by tne Grey River Dredging Co., at Ikamatua said he had been 20 months m his present employ, having previously been two years in the railway workshops, and 11 years with private concerns. He was vice-president of the Union, and had been an assessor m the Conciliation Council. The halthour mealtime sought was intended .0 cover any worker, so that day workers on an 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. shift would actually work 7| hours. Clothing was badly damaged by Welding, and generally conditions were not comparable with a workshop. At witness s dredge the crew -was at only twothirds normal strength and some machinery replacements had notj been made. He did 32 hours Home Guard service a month as a corporal, and privates did 24 hours. All except about half a dozen employees on the dredse received above awarct rates, and gum boots were provided. At this stage the Court adjourned till this morning. , After hearing the employers submissions, this morning, and the final addresses of the advocates, the Court reserved its decision. A report of today’s proceedings will appear m tomorrow’s “Star.”