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Greymouth Evening Star, 20 October 1948, Page 5

A decision to seek a Court of Arbitration ruling on the majority of the questions in dispute was made by the employers’ and employees’ representatives in the bank officers’ dispute before the Conciliation Commissioner (Mr S. Ritchie) in Wellington. The major point in the dispute was the union proposal to set up an appeal board. Composed of a representative of the bank and one employee, with an independent chairman, the board would hear, all appeals by members of the union. Appeals could be made against dismissals or other punishment, against promotion being wrongfully withheld, and on the rate of pay.. No agreement was reached in a discussion on wages. The maximum offered by employers for males in their eighteenth year of service was £585 a year. The employees asked for £620 a year. A deadlock was reached in the- union proposal for a 40-hour week and the employers’ counterproposal for an 80-hour fortnight.— (P.A.)