TANNERIES DISPUTE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16564, 30 May 1914, Page 14

TANNERIES DISPUTE.

CONCILIATION COURT PROCEEDINGS,

A PARTIAL SETTLEMENT.

Tho Conciliation Council met yesterday to consider the dispute between the Canterbury Tanners, Fellmongers and Skinners' Industrial Union of Workers and Messrs Bowron Bros. and others. Mr J. R. Triggs, the Conciliation Commissioner, presided, and thoro wero present the following assessors:—For the employers, Messrs William Nieholls, Walter Hill and lidward G. Wood; for tho Union, Messrs W. E. Woodham, W. E. Bell and R. Johnston.

HOURS OF WORK

In respect of hours of work the Union proposed that on four days 83 hours should be worked, 8j hours on ono day, and 4J hours on Saturday, and should be worked between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. The employers asked for the clause in the old award. Tho Commissioner said that an agreement had been come to in Dunedin, where the Saturday hours were finished at 1 p.m. Mr Woodham raised an objection to the hours being extended to that hour. Mr Hill said that if the Saturday morning work finished at twelve o'clock thero would bo three months in tho year, April, May and June, when it would not ho worth while commencing work. In fact if they did not get a full day at all on Saturday it would not bo worth working for a half-day only.

The Commissioner: Has the old clause been working satisfactorily? Mr Woodham: No. This is tho only trade where we do not get a naif-holi-day.

Mr Hill: The industry is not flourishing too well at the present time, and if the new burdens are imposed it will be a hard thine; for tho industry. Mr Woodham: Well, should an industry exist at the expense of the worker? If' it does, it ought to bo put out of existence.

Mr Hill and others: No! No!

The Commissioner: Yes, but we have to consider those employers who will be affected.

Mr Hill: Tin's question about hours docs not come from the men employed in tho industry. I am sure that they aro satisfied. If it was a question of all tho men leaving one employer their places could easily bo filled in a very short time.

Sir Triggs: I quite believe with Mr Woodham" that if an industry cannot pay a living wago, of course, it ought to be aboftshed. Mr Hill: It's a matter of opinion. Tho matter of a living wage has never been definitely or successfully fixed yet. Mr Woodham suggested that the matter should be held over until tho other mOre important clauses were considered.

Mr Trigirs: In Dunedin the employers have decided to closo the works altogether where a bunch of holidays como together. Mr Hill: It would be better for me to close dmra for a week rather than keep open at broken time. I can hold np my business for a week at any time. Mr' Bell: We should like to we tho men employed on a yearlv basis.

The Commissioner: Is there any loss of time in the trade?

Mr Hill: No, not much. It would not bo a great percentage Mr Cooper said that it was a long way more continuous employment than tho freezing works. Mr Johnston : From my experience of the work, I do not see how a standard could be arranged. Mr Hill: I don't believe in this continual bleed by the workers. We are willing to conciliate, but there is a limit.

Mr Woodliam's suggestion was adopted.

WAGES. The question of wages raised an animated discussion. The Union proposed wages considerably in advance or the old award, while the employers wanted the conditions of the old award with several modifications. • Mr Hill: The Union's demands are too far from our ideas Wo have considered the demands and we cannot accept them. Tho demands are from 10 per cent to 25 per cent in advance of the present award, and tho industry could not stand the increase. If it has to bear that burdon, it would certainly go under. Mr Bell: As far as the wool-sorters arc concerned. I think they ought to get Is 6d per hour. My employer has given me that rate for some time. This is a speculative trade, and I don't see why they cannot givo a higher minimum wage. The Commissioner: Well, I think some of the employers are spoiling themselves and the men, too, in giving a higher wago than tho others. You spoil the better men, and there are many good men who are slow workers. It is a mistake to make a too high minimum wage. It would do more barm than good. Where I think the employers are underpaying their employee's, I do all I can to make the employers give .an increase. But, where I know they are giving good wages, I cannot ask them to givo more. I could not do it in face of_ the agreement we have just come to in Dunedin. There, the employers based their agreement on tho Cliristchurch conditions, and I could not go above them now. Mr Hill: I should just like to say that I have been running a tannery business for tho Inst eighteen years, and I bare never received more than a return of 5 per cent on my money. I am going to shut up that part of my business, and there will bo about £SOOO wovtli of machinery put on tho scrap heap. We have the competition of the Old Country against us. Air Triggs (to tho Union's assessors): There's tho uncertainty of it. If the workers ask for a higher wage, you run the risk of injuring the industry. Mr Woodham: Why should thero be such a difference between the rates of wages in Dunedin and in OhristchurchP The binsmen aro paid 7s per week less than in Dunedin. _ After some further discussion, the Union's assessors withdrew, on the suggestion of tho Commissioner, who then discussed the question with the employers. . On tho Union's assessors returning, the Commissioner said that the emplovers would make an agreement £» give an advance of id pet hour on all wages under Is 3d per hour under the old award, provided the other clauses wero agreed to as well. ' The employers' assessors then withdrew, and the Commissioner conferred with'tho Union's assessors. On resuming, tho unions assessors stated they could not accept the pro•Vft'er some further discussiou, the employers offered to give scrutchere Is 03d per hour, which proposal was also refused by the Union's assessors. Mr Hill: It seems to me that tho workers arc continually askiug for more concessions and higher wages. The employers have always had to give m, hut there is a. limit. I do not think the time is far distant when the employers will ask' for a decrease in tho wages. i Continuing, Mr Hill stated that the : condition between things in 1900 were

quite different from what they were at present. The leather industry was not nearly so large, and was produced under altered conditions. There were tens of thousands of pelts, which were onco tanned in the dominion, but were now shipped away as pelts without being tanned. In Woolflton at the present time there was not a quarter the number of men employed as there used to bo years ago. Mr Bell: It seems as though an export duty was wanted. Mr Hill: But that would not make you any better off. They would have to put a little more on the raw article, and then the farmer has to suffer, which means that the farm labourers are put in the same condition as yourselves. From the workers'' points of view, perhaps you would get with your demands a bettor condition, but from the employers' point of vio'w, the sooner he gets out of the business the better it will he for himself.

Wages for youths were agreed upon as follows:—l.s years to 16 years, 15s 6d per week; 16 years to 17 years, 'IBs (k\; 17 years to 18 years £1 3s (3d; 18 years to 20 years, lOd an hour. The underrate workers clause was agreed to.

Tho preference clause and the general conditions in the old award wero also agreed to. It was agreed to accept the holidays In the old award except Easter Saturday at Fairfield Works, and to add Show Day. The questions of hours of work and wages were referred to the Arbitration Court to decide.