NEW AGREEMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 2 November 1932, Page 2

NEW AGREEMENT

IN PRINTING TRADE DISPUTE.

(Per Press Association — Copyright

WELtLINGTON, November It

A complete agreement was reached at the, Conciliation Council to-day, when representatives of the New Zealand, Master Printers and Newspaper Proprietors’ Association met the New Zealand Related Printing Trades’ Association. A new award for a term of one year is to be applied for in the Arbitration Court.

‘‘Recently I have presided over a good many. c; and I can say thi-t lids been one of the most pleasant,” said Commissioner Newton, replying to a vote of thanks 'at the close of the meeting.

“Unfortunately times are different, and it is pleasant to see the representatives of such an important industry recognising this, and making adjustments in such an amicable way. It was proposed by the employers that the centres of the-.. Dominion 'should be classified into four divisions, according to the population, and that the wages for journeymen machinists, bookbinders, paper rulers, embossers, transferrers and multi-colour printers, should be as follows:—Class I £4 4s per week or 2s per hour; Class 2 £4 3s per week, or Is lljd' per hour; Class 3, £4 Is 10<d per week, or Is 2d per hour; Class 4, £3 17s pel' week.

Tli© workers’ counter proposals .provided for £5 10s per week for journeymen with 20 per cent, extra for night workers.

After lengthy discussion in the morning, Mr Codlin (employers’ advocate) said the employers would be prepared to offer a 5 per cent, reduction in the case of the cities and large towns and 1 7} per cent, reduction in the case of the smaller centres.

The sitting was adjourned until the afternoon, to enable the workers’ assessors to consider this offer. v When the meeting re-assembled, Mr Chapman (the workerp’ ladvocate) rejected the offer, hut .sai'd the workers would meet the employers half way.. A further discussion resulted, both sides amending their proposals. It was a'gneed that the classification should be on the basis of the present award. . .

T’he wages agreed upon represent a reduction of approximately 4.6 per cent, from the journeymen’s- net rates in the main, centres, under the previous award.

The journeymen in the principal centres will receive £4 8s 6d per week, against the previous net rate of £4 l-2s 3d. ’The rates for country centres will represent a reduction of approximately 7 per cent, on the previous net- rat©3 of wages. i It was agreed also’ that the wages of* female (workers "should be reduced' by approximately 10 per cent., and that the wages paid general hands and assistant machinists at present in employment should be those prescribed in the previous award. The'other clauses in the previous award, including those relating to hours .and holidays, remain unchanged.