PRINTING TRADES

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 April 1945, Page 3

PRINTING TRADES

INDUSTRIAL AGREEMENT

WELLINGTON, April 26 ; When the combined printing trades dispute came before the Court ql Arbitration in Wellington to-day, it was disclosed that agreement had been reached in all matters, except classification. In conciliation council in November, 1944, the employers agreed to a modification ol tne classification to include in Class 1 tne towns with a population of niore than 2000 (the previous Class 2 relatedMo towns with a population ol 6000 and under), which would have meant increases in wages for the day workers affected as follows: For linotype operators, 10/- per week; lor machinists and hand compositors, 12/ b per week; superimposed by an increase in the night allowance from 10/- to 15/- per week. This was not ratified by the Court, which, folkuving its pronouncement ot March 17, specifying standard rates of wages, referred the whole dispute back to the Council ol' Conciliation. As a result of altered circumstances since November, 1944, arising primarily from the Court’s, standard wage pronouncement. the employers at the second Conciliation Council hearing declined to agree to the modification of the classification, on the ground that «thc increases in the case, of the workers in towns of a population exceeding 2000 and under 6000 would be 16/8 per week for linotype operators and 19/2 for machinists and hand compositors, both amounts increased by the Court's two cost ot living bonuses. This, it. was contended, would be inconsistent with the Court’s pronouncement. Mr.' K. Baxter appeared for the workers at to-day’s hearing, and Mr. E. W. Clarkson tor the employers. Mr. Baxter submitted that the proposed alteration to the classification did not, in any sense, make for a breaking of the policy of economic stabilisation. It did seek, however, to promote a certain bending so far as the printing industry was concerned.

The Court reserved its decision