CONCILIATION BOARD.

Lake County Press, Issue 980, 19 September 1901, Page 7

CONCILIATION BOARD.

There was a full meeting of the Conciliation Board in Dunedin last week, Mr Chapman (chairman) being supported L-y Messrs Farquhar, Park, Ferguson, and Hallv.

The first business was to fix time and place of hearing THE DREDGING DISPUTE, concerning which the following statement of claims had been filed by the Dredgemen's Union : 1. Eight hours to be a recognised slim. 2. All work done over eight hours to count as overtime, and be paid for at time and half. , , . 3. Minimum wage : For open river ana Hat dredging in the Alexandra, Clyde, Cromwell, Nevis. Clutha, Cardrona, Shotover, Roxburgh, Miller's Flat, Beaumont, and Waipori districts, 10s per shift; toi motormen, sluicers, and road-makers in above districts (steady employment) 9s per shift, casual employment 10s per shitt; coalers in above districts, 10s per shitt; for dredgemen in the Lawrence, Waitahuna, Glenore, Gore, Mataura Charlton Creek, Waimumu, Waikaka, Shag River, and Kveburn districts, 9s per shift; gorge claims* (such as the Alexandra-Roxburgh, Clyde-Cromwell, and Kawarau gorges), I<5S per shift. 4 All shifts to go round, so that even man gets his fair turn at day shift—viz., every "third week while dredging. If empiovers feel disposed to break tins principle of simple justice, and require dredgemen to work always on the 4 to 12 and 12 to 8 shifts, such work to be paid lor at not less than 2s per shift over ordinary 11, 5 All cadets to be paid half-wages while cadeting. No cadet to work a shift unless he be paid full wages. 6. Wages to be paid at not greater intervals than once per month. 7 Holidays.—Eight days' holiday on tail Day is asked for at Christmas, from Christmas Day to New Year's Day inclusive; or double rates for working on any ot U.e following holidays:-New Years Day, January 2. Good x'riday, Easter Monday May 24, King's Birthday, Labor Day, and Christinas Day. 8. Sunday work to be paid for at double ' 9."Unionists to have preference of employment. , , .. Mr J H. Davidson represented Hie union; Mr Garrow and Mr J. C. Thomson the Dredgeowners' Association. Mr Garrow said that .at a meeting o! the Association, representing about sixty companies, it was decided to ask that the dispute be heard in Dunedin, and four ;>t the Con- companies asked that if the sitting could not be. at Core it should lie m Dunedin. . Mr Davidson contended that as Alexandra, was the headquarters of the industry reasons should be given before deciding not to sit at Alexandra. The Chairman read a, letter from Mr •)• .1. Ramsay., representing the Golden Gravel and other Southland companies, protesting against being called to Alexandra. Mr Thomson pointed out that, Dunedin was the place where most of the companies had their offices, and he mentioned that the Association he represented would like v.ie proceedings put off until the Association had been"registered. The regulations had been sent to Wellington. By the time registration was effected a number of the companies could be treated as one. Mr Davidson contended that ample notice had already been given ; and as for the other question, whilst the oftices were mostly in Dunedin, Alexandra was the backbone and centre of the industry, and (he cradle, of the Dredgeowners' Association, and it was from Alexandra that he proposed to call as witnesses men of experience, who could tell the Board exactly what the conditions were. nis witnesses would bo mostly dredge-masters, and not members of the union. The Chairman asked what, the association referred to bv Mr Davidson was, and

I Mr Thomson replied that it Mas a local i body.

The Chairman thereupon remarked that i ample notice had been given to all parties interested, and this association could have ! lieen represented if representation was de- | sired. Mr Davidson suggested that if the Board wanted to split the geographical difficulty i fairlv they should select Roxburgh. The Chairman asked how many membeis ! there were in the union. Mr Davidson said about 300. If the J employers would at once answer a question | or two, so as to let it be known whether ! they proposed to give way at all or to right i along the whole line, he could say how | many witnesses he would need to call. The Cliiiirman: You cannot force them 1 into a discussion now. Mr Davidson : Well, I'll probably bring 1 about twenty. ! The Chairman: The inconvenience of \ bringing them here is the companies' incon--1 venience, and they are asking for Dunedin. Jf they suffer it is their own look out. Mr Davidson : But who pays the piper? The Chairman : The side that brings the witnesses pays them, no doubt. Mr Davidson : Well, it means breaking up the union. We haven't the money to bring a crowd here. Mr Thomson : Are wo to pay our witnesses if we take them to Alexandra? The Chairman : I can only say that whoever brings witnesses pays their expenses. ; Mr Thomson : It is they who challenge I the present condition of things, and why I should we be put to expense? We say ! there is no dispute. The Chairman: We don't know about I that.

Mr Ferguson : It's a curious thing that in all matters coming before this Board there has never been a dispute. Mr Thomson : Neither there has. After the Board had consulted the Chairman said: The Board wish to arrange matters so as to allow parties to attend at convenient places. They propose to fix a day to sit at Roxburgh to hear all such evidence as may be tendered by any party, and will later announce another date on which to sit at Dunedin to enable all the parties to complete their evidence. The effect of that will be that the people on the riv- can call evidence at Roxburgh, and the people in Dunedin, and south and north, can give their evidence at Dunedin. whichever side they are on. That seems to the Board to be a fair compromise. Mr Thomson: Will the evidence taken at Roxburgh be available at Dunedin? The Chairman : We will take notes, and those notes will be available for both parties. . . „

It was also intimated that the 10th Oc tober would be the day for sitting at Rox burgh.