ARBITRATION AWARDS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 98, 25 March 1939, Page 9

ARBITRATION AWARDS.

STATEMENT OF POLICY. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, March 24. “The Court will not in any circumstances change its policy and will not make alterations without cogent reasons. In other words, the onus is on the union in such cases as this to prove that there has been any definite change in conditions,” said Mr Justice O’Regan in the Court of Arbitration to-day, dealing with applications for exemption by several parties from the New Zealand (except Westland) plumbers’ and gasfitters’ award. For the employers, Mr D. I. MacDonald, of Christchurch, asked that all present exemptions should be renewed. Mr IT. J. Bishop made an application on behalf of a sugar refining company, the Auckland Transport Board and all freezing companies, all of which had existing exemptions. Mr K. Bedford appeared for the Union Stc-am Ship Company, Ltd., and the Wellington Patent Slip Company, seeking exemption. The applications were opposed by Mr H. Thompson (advocate for the workers). A ruling was sought by Mr Bishop from the Court on its attitude to the exemptions. “I have a distinct recollection that this matter was very fully aggued on a previous occasion. I am also aware, though I have no personal knowledge of it, that it was fully argued before Mr Justice Page,” said His Honour. The matter had given the Court a great deal of trouble and had occupied a considerable amount of time, added His Honour. Ho made it clear that the onus was on the union to prove definite changes in conditions to the Court to substantiate its objection to exemptions. I W ages, tool money allowance, suburban and country work and the term of the award were the principal matters in dispute in the Dominion plumbers’ dispute, which was heard to-day. An ‘ increase in wages of Gd from 2s 9d to 3s 3d an hour was sought by the workers and 5s a week for tools. The I employers offered tho present award clauses. The workers’ claims were opposed on tiie grounds that they were most extravagant. Tho Court reserved its decision.