CONCILIATION COUNCIL

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIIII, Issue 3626, 12 September 1912, Page 6

CONCILIATION COUNCIL

THE DRIVERS’ DISPUTE. TO GO TO THE ARBITRATION COURT. The Conciliation Council resumed its sittings in Gisborne yesterday morning, when the Drivers’ dispute was taken. r l’lie Commissioner, Mr T. Haile Giles, presided, and the assessors were: Employers, Messrs AV. F. Cederwa.ll, A. Al. Lewis and Geo. Smith; Union, Messrs G. Inglis, J. 801 l and G. Bartlett. Air F. Lawton, secretary of the Employers’ Association, was also present. The Commissioner said that Council had met to hear the drivers’ dispute, and it was pretty well understood that the matter was not to be 'considered in detail at all at this sitting. The drivers were going for a Dominion award, and this would come before the Arbitration Court at Wellington on September 17. and lie understood that it was the doc ire of both sides that the details should not be entered into by the Council but passed on to the Arbitration Court for the purpose of making that award. He asked if it was tile ooinion of both sides.

Mr Cc-denvall: Wo are perfectly agreeable.

Air Inglis: The Union is prepared to come to an agreement with the employers now. Air C-ederwall: AVe are not prepared to discuss the matter at all. The Commissioner: I will note that the Union were prepared to discuss the whole of the demands. May Igo further and say that you would be prepared to discuss it on the basis of a purely local award.

Mr Inglis: Yes. The Commissioner: The Court has decided to make a Dominion award, and I cannot see how the employers can do anything else. .Mr. Cedsnvall: What is the utility of a local award? Even if it is made it will be governed by the Dominion award. The Commissioner: If I understand you rightly you intend to pass this dispute on to the Arbitration Court for a Dominion award. Mr Cederwall: Yes.

The Commissioner thought this was the wisest course. Of course he said lie lilted to settle the disputes if possible.

Tho AYaikohu County Council through tneir Engineer (Mr J. Mount) applied for exemption from the award on the grounds that they would not be able to carry out their works properly and economically if they were joined as parties. Air Mount pointed out that the Council was not a competitive industrial organisation and therefore should be exempted. He asked the Commissioner whether if the Council granted exemption in this dispute would the Waikohu Council he exempted in the Dominion award if it was made.

Tiie Commissioner said he had power to join or strike out tho names of parties, but that did not dispose of the matter finallv.

Afr Alouat pointed out that the Waikoliu Council did not work for profit and its main duties consisted of keeping open the lines of traffic between the producer and consumer. Its work demanded that it should pay the wages demanded so that this" work could be carried on. For instance, two and a half years ago when every road was down it did not matter what wages were asked so long as the men were obtained. The same conditions happened every year, and they had to pay what the men demanded. Because of that they could not work under any rule and could not be bound by conditions.

Tiie Commissioner: Are you affected more than anv other County Council ? Air Alouat replied that the country under the control of the Council was very troublesome, and according to returns 40 per cent, slipped in o"'-> year. There were no similar conditions prevailing in any other part of Now Zealand, and if they had to work uinlc-r the Union’s demands the}- could not do if . Air Inglis: Wo will give it a go—we are prepared to take it on. ’The Commissioner: AVhy was this Council imt cited before. Air Bartlett: It was not in existence. Air Grdrrwall: The last award was practically consigned to the borough. Mr Alouat pointed out the difficulty there would be in patching work which was let to settlors, and said the Waikohu Council could not work under the preference clause. Then in regard to the time-book being signed every twenty-four hours he would not be able to get round the men to got it signed in that time as they were so scattered. Furthermore, he could not get round the men every week to pay them their wages as prescribed, and lie instanced the difficulty there would he in fording rivers in the winter time to carry out such a proposal. He

read a number of letters from employees stating they preferred to be paid The men received 9s a day. a free house, and three acres of land, and that was better than the Union asked for. None of the men were Unionists. Mr Inglis said the Union were favorable to the Council being exempted.

The Commissioner granted the application. , Mr. In glib said that the Union had come to a satisfactory agreement with the Borough Council, and he agreed to their, being exempted. The Commissioner accordingly granted the request, and the name of the Borough Council was deleted from the parties cited. Air Inglis said that in extending their claims to c'ountry workers they had modified the country conditions but they now recognised that two distinct conditions prevailed in the country and in the borough, and for that reason he asked that the following names he struck out:-—A. Booth (PTiha), C. Brown (To Arai), AV. Barrow (Waerenga-a-hika), M. F. Bcurko (Matawhero), G. H. Bullard (Patutahi), Baty Bros. (Patutahi), AV. D. Bidgood (Ormond), G. Bell and s Son (Te Karaka), D. Cameron (Makauri), C. Carrington (Matawhero), C. Brown (Te Karaka), AV. Cooper (Tiniroto), Paul ton and Sons (Manutuke), G. Dalton (To Arai), T. Dawson (Matawhero), J. Dover (Patutahi) AV. Dunne (Patutahi). E. AV. Fivers and Peel (Te Arai), J. Erskine (Waerenga-a-liika), AV. Edwards (Patutahi), E. S. Evin r son (Te lvaraka), T. Evans (Puha), B. Fitzpatrick (Patutahi), B. E. Greaves (Ngatapa), C. Gibson (Te Arai), T. W. Habgood (Alakatfrj), <T. H. Hardy (Patutahi), J. Harvey (AALiinui), AV. H. Hatteii (Ormond), Hone Hauni (Te Karaka), A . Harvey (Wainui), C. Imago (Matawhero), AV. James (AVaerenga-u-hika), Judd Bros (Matawliero), AA r . J. Kirk (Te Arai), J. King (AATiatatutu), J. Leslie (Patutahi), A. AI. Lewis (Te Karaka), E. R. Alurp-hy (Te Arai), J. Muir (Te Arai), A. McTntvre (Patutahi), AAA Manson (Patutahi), J. McGregor (Puha), T. P. Nichols (AVliarekopopl, C. Neenan (Ormond), J. Peel (Alanutuke), AV. Pevyer (Te Arai), J. Penm- (AVannu), H. J. Peacocke and Co. Arai), C. Robscke (Muriwai), AV. lv. Robb (Patutahi), P. R. Rodgers (Patutahi), AI. Roe (Ormond), J. Ray (AA liatatutu), AAA H. Smith (Makauri), S. Scragg (Patutahi), J. Standisli (Pulia), Trading Co. (Aluriwai), J. AV. Taunt (Patutahi), AA’ilson (Tinitroo).

Mr Clare applied for exemption on behalf of the' bakers as their men came under the Shop Assistants’ Act. The men who drove the carts were really salesmen. Mr Inglis objected and the application was refused. Mr. J. R. Redstone applied for the exemption of livery-stable kepers, and this was granted. . Afr East on behalf of the grocers made a similar application as they were controlled by the Shoo Assistants Act, which semed to bo working well and the men were satisfied wicli it. Thev got the usual holidays appointed and drivers such as they employed came under the same condition as an assistant. The Commissioner said he would send down to the Court the grounds on which the employers object. The Council then adjourned and the dispute will he forwarded to the Arbitration Court. The following is the agreement with the Borough Council: — The Council shall he exempt from any award of the Arbitration Court during the currency of this agreement, and the agreement shall not be used as a basis for demands before the Conciliation Council or the Arbitration Court in connection with the citation of other employees. The wages of onehorse drivers shall he not less than £2 12s for 49 horn's rev week; twohorse drivers £2 15s b' ; ' a- week of 50 hours; three-horse drivers, £2 17s 6d for 51 hours. The above time to include all waste occupied in attendance on horses, washing vehicles, cleaning harness, etc. The daily working hours shall he regulated in advance according to the special requirements of the Council. The; Council shall provide a time-book in each stable, and each driver shall enter daily the number of hours for which he is entitled to be paid, stating tho overtime (if any). A responsible officer shall, within 24 hours, have the time verified and the book initialled. Drivers shall receive the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Good I'ridav, Easter Alonday, Labor Day. Show Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. Any work done on Christmas Day, Good Friday or Sunday shall bo paid at not less than 2s Gel per hour; work done on other holidays Is 6d per hour, with minimum payment of 2s 6d. These payments shall he in addition to the wages. AA 7 ages shall bo paid fortnightly in cash. Preference to he given in employment to members of the Union. In the ease..of drivers other than casual hands a week’s notice of dismissal or of resignation shall he given by the Council or employee. A driver employed continuously for move than one week shall he deemed a permanent driver. Casual hand:; shall be paid at the same rate as a weekly hand. Term of agreement two years, and to come into force on September 11, 1912.

BAKERS’ AND PASTRYCOOKS’ ACREEFvIENT.

The following is a precis of the agreement entered into in the Bakers’ and Pastrycooks’ dispute:— .

Hours of work as per old award (IS hours), the number of hours to be worked each day. may he d on Aloedays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and 10 hours on Saturdays. After 4S hours have been worked overtime begins. "She stalling time is in accordance wiln the old award, with the exception that . hen employers have country deliveries or have to' forward bread by country ( caches they may start at 3.T0 a.m. instead of 3 a.m. No .workman shall work longer than 41 hours without a, meal, half an hour shall be allowed for tho Mime. Time for sponging and doughing to be deducted from the day’s work. Wages: Three classes of workers were recognised in the old award. These have now been reduced to two, the foremen and other hands. The wages of the foremen have been raised from £3 to £3 os. and other hands from £2 os to £2 Ids. No second hand is now provided for. Overtime has been nrnrngsd for .at the following rates: Foreman 2s per none, journeymen Is fid up till 10 p.m. All work to cease between 10 and 12 p.m. If any employer shall require any of his 'workers or jobbers to start work at an earlier hour than that already provided for lie shall pav such worker at the rate of double time for all work between midnight and the hour prescribed for starting work : such overtime shall be paid notwithstanding a full day’s work shall not have been worked by the particular worker wno is so required to start work at such earlier hour. The wages for jobbers as per old award. No unskilled worker shall he allowed to assist in the making and baking of bread. Sunday sponging to cover all statutory and public holidays. Any work done on any of the following holidays shall be paid for at the rate of 3s per hour in addition to the usual weekly wages; New Year's Dav, January 2nd, Show D ay, Good Friday, Easter Monday,

Prince of Wales’ Birthday, Sovereign’s Birthday, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. Any work done on Labor Day shall be at the nato of Is 9d per hour in addition to the usual weekly wages. The rate of pay for Sunday work to be 3s an hour in addition to usual wages. All wages shall be paid weekly in the bakehouse, within 15 minutes of tlio termination of the week’s work. A substantial increase has been granted to apprentices. The old award provided 12s Gd a week for the first year, 15s 6d for the second, 18s Gd for the third, and £1 2s Gd for the fourth. Under the new award the. wages, are to be 12s 1 Gd per week for the first six months, ! 15s for the second, 17s Gd for the third, £1 for tho fourth, £1 2s Gd for the fifth, £1 ss*for the sixth, £1 7s Gd for the seventh, £1 10s for tho eighth, and £2 for the fifth year, which is an •extension of tho period of apprentice-" ship by one year. Where an apprentice bas to board with an employer tho sum of 7s Gd per week shall be al- j lowed for the first year's board, 10s j for the second, 12s Gd for the third, and 15s for the fourth and after. Tho other regulations, for apprentices are similar to the old award. Under-rate workers’, clause as per old award. The Court’s preference clause has been altered, and the following substituted: “Each employer shall Tiave the right to engage any worker he chooses; but if the worker so employed shall not bo a member of the union such worker within two weeks from tho date of his engagement shall become and remain a member of the union. The provisions of the foregoing clause shall , operato only if and so long as the i rules of tho union shall permit any worker of good character and sober J habits to become ft member of the , union, upon payment of an entrance j fee not exceeding 5s upon a written j or verbal application without ballot j or other election, and to continue a-j member upon payment of subsequent ; contributions not exceeding Gd per j week. The names of all workers so engaged shall be given by the employer to the secretary of the union when 1 asked for by him. Nothing herein : contained shall prevent the continued employment of workers now in the . employment of any employer, al- ■ though such workers may not he or ; become members of the union. ’ A i carter shall not bo employed in any bake-house in connection with the manufacture of any goods in the baking trade, but a baker may deliver bread so long as he <k:os not work more than the prescribed hours. AA’orkers may be boarded and lodged on the employers’ premises at a rate not exceeding 15s per week. The terms and conditions for pastry cooks are identical with those for bread bakers, with the exception of a special clause re the employment of females, which provides that no female be allowed to work at the pastry cook trade other than packing of cakes and cleaning of fruit. The scope of award covers tho Poverty Bay district, and the term is for two years, commencing from November 1, 1912. This is tho first time a bakers’ dispute has been settled hv tho Conciliation Council and at the conclusion of the proceedings a hoavtv vote or thanks was passed to the Commissioner for his able services.