CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVIII, Issue 18415, 22 May 1920, Page 9

CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

MANURE, TALLOW AJTO SOAP 1 WORKERS. j Tho Conciliation Council yeaterday hear! a, dispute between the Canterbury Freezing and Related Trades Union (Manuro Workers’ Tallow Workers' and Soap Workers' Section) and tho Canterbury By-products Company, tho New Zealand Farmers’ Co-operative Association, tho New Zealand Provision anil Produce Company and tho Zoalandia Soap and Candle Company. Mr W. H. liagger (Conciliation Commissioner) presided M—-srs A. Vusoy, P. Thomas and B. Froggt.Tl wero assessors for tho employees, and Mp°srß R. Wilson, W. K. Marsh and W. R GCTTagan assessors for the employers. Afr F. C. Ellis appeared ns agent tor the employees, and Mr F. Cooper *s agent for th«o employers. The employeos asked for forty-four hours r. week, and iho following increases in wages; —Manure workers, from Is 4j,d an hour, with 3{R an hour bonus, to 2s an hour flat date! tallow workers, from is 4J.d -an hour, with a bonus of Ojd| an hour, to 2s an houA tint rato; soap workers, from Is 3|d an hour, with a bonus of 3Jcl an hour, to 2s an hour flat rate. Incronse.s also were asked in youths’ wages, fixing them at—Souths undor sixteon years of ago, 510 s a week; from sixteen to seventeen years, 85s; from seventeen to eighteen years, 40s. Overtime—Time and a half for tho first throe hours, and double time after that. The employers, in counter proposals, offered Is 8d an hour, with a bonus of 3d a,i» hour, for manure workers and tallow workers, and Is Td an hour, with -n- bonus of 3d, for soap workers; and youths’ wages as follows: —-Under sixteen years of ago, IPs .a. week; sixteen to seventeen years, 235; seventeen to eighteen years, 28s; eighteen to nineteen years, 38s; nineteen to twenty years, 48s; all crudes of youths to rocoivo a bonus of 2s a week, to include tho bonus awarded by the Arbitration Court on Mav 1 last. Tho employees accepted the wages for men offered by tho employers. Tho following wages for youths wero agreed to:—Under sixteen years, 18s a week; from sixteen to seventeen years, 23s fid; from seventeen to eighteen years, 83s; from eighteen to nineteen years, 435; from ninotoem to twenty years, 535; all with a bonus of 2s a week. Th-v employers agreed to the employees’ overtime rates, and the hours were fixed at forty-eight a week. The employees objected to a proposal by the employers that workers on night, shifts should be paid 2s fid a shift extra instead of overtime Tates, and tho employers said that they would not lot that props sal stand in the way of n oompleto rott'emont. They would not insist on it. but wou’d reserve the right to refer that question to tho Court if they wished to do so. An usi-emct, was reached on all the minor items. The award will be retrospective to Mav 1. 1920, and will bo in force until May I, 1921. ADDINGTON- ROT.TTNTt MILLS EMPLOYEES. Tho Conciliation Council on Thursday coneidorod a dispute between tho Christchurch branch of tho Amalgamated Society of Engineers, Rolling Mills Section, and tho Addington Rolling Mills Company. Mr W. H. Ilagger (Conciliation Commissioner) presided. The omployoes’ assessors wore Messrs R. Kerr, J. Grant and D. Mason. Air N. Orton, secretary of the union, appeared as the employees’ agent. Tho company was represented by Messrs R. L. Turner (secretary) and J. S. Plato (foreman). Mr F. C’ooper appeared as tho company’s agent. It was tho first application for an award in the industry. Tho employees askod for forty hours aj week nnd the following wages :—Rufllers and underhand furnacemon, 3s an hour; shinglers and catchers, rollers and furnacemen, 8s fid an hour; draggers, hoppers-up, ballfurnacemen, iron cutters, finished iron cutters, pilers, shearmen, trolleymen and yardmen 2s 10c! an hour Overtime—Double time right through to the usual time of beginning work.

Tho oompnny, in counter proposals, offered fifty hours a Uveek, overtime at tho rate ot time and a half for tho first three hours and doublo time after that, and wages based on tho quantities dealt with, ranging from Is 9d per ton of iron for catchers to 5s 6d a ton of finished iron for furnacemen. Air Cooper said that tho employers were determined to havo a tonnaeo basis fob wages, as on that basis there was more security in tho business. On tho time basis for ws-es. ‘bo business became too speculative. Atr Kerr said that the employees deserved special consideration, aB the work was very exacting. Mon engasrod in it sufferod badly from cramp. They ofton collapsed, and most of them were done at forty-fivo years of age. Thov feared that tho piecework basis advanced by the cmriloyers would lead to worse oond’tious than tho prosent ones, and would not listen to it Tho Commissioner suggested that the cmplovers’ proposal should bo given a trial for a month, tho employees to bo given an assurance that the wages on pipee-work during that timo would not bo less than 10per cent moTO than present ratos. Tim employees said that they would not accept tho piece-work proposal on any conrpti'ins ( The employers, after a private oonfo-crice. port-od to *n hourly wsee. or. tho oond’Gou that if tho output was over a. certain min-'titv thov won hi pay extra, end if it was less then tho quantity fixed n,s a basis, th© wage should he less, the variation in bop- cases to ho in portion Jo tho altered quantities A scale of waves, ranging from Is 74d to 2s fid nn hour, with a bonus of 3d an liour. vi-s.s nffs’-ad bv tbe em"'overs. and tbe bearing of the dispute was edjmirned til! 10 n.tn. on Saturday to give tbo employees timo to con eider that proposal.