CONCILIATION BOARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11691, 28 June 1901, Page 3

CONCILIATION BOARD.

THE BAKER'S DISPUTE. The Conciliation Board met yesterday at the Supreme Court Buildings, in order to hear a reference between Robert Palmer and others, members of Auckland Operative Bakers' Union, and the Auckland Master Bakers. The Rev. A. H. Collins presided, and Messrs. L. Bagnall, E. W. Alison, W. H. Lucas, and J. Fawcus were also present. The union was represented by Messrs. Gilbert Hamilton, Win. F. White, and George Whitcombe. and about 20 master bikers answered their names out of 69 who had been cited to appear. Mr. White acted as spokesman for the union. Mr. Hamilton said some time go the union hail met a number of employers in a friendly way, and some of them had signed nn agreement in terms of the award asked for. It was then thought that the best course to adopt, in order to settle the matters with those masters who were not present, and had not signed, was to bring it under the decision of the Board. Mi. Buchanan said the employers who were met were members of the Master Bakers' Association, and that this association did not represent the master bakers of Auckland, but only met in a mutual way. Mr. White, in opening the case for the union, said that in drawing up the readjustment of terms of working, the matter had been gone? into very minutely. The award now asked for was the same, if nut less in demand, than asked in Southern towns. From Invercargill to Auckland the men were now working on the terms now asked for, and the employers in other centres had no desire to revert back to the old order, and the employees had no desire to get up at any unreasonable hour, in order to supply the people of Auckland with the staff of life, when the people did not care to consume it till stale. There was no trouble, ho understood, about wages, but the apprentice question might crop up. The union asked that where two bona-fide men were employd they should be allowed at last one apprentice, and that where the employer himself worked in the bakehouse he should be considered a journeyman. In answer to the Chairman, Mr. White said he did not propose to call any witnesses, but would place the demands of the union before the Board, the context of which is as follows: —

1. Nine hours and one-half shall constitute a day's labour, including .one half-hour for breakfast and 0113 hour for sponging. 2. The rate of wages shall bo as follows :- Foremen not less than £3 per week ; second hands not less than £2 10s per week: and any others not less than £2 5s per week. All hands to receive dry pay. 3. Tradesmen not fully competent by reason of age or physical weakness, may be employed at such wage as may in each case be settled between the 1 union and the employers. 4. No person shall commence work before four a.m., except on Wednesday and Saturday, when ho shall not commence before two a.m. After the stated hours are up overtime shall be paid as follows, viz.: — Time and a-quarter up to half-past five p.m. in the afternoon, and time and a-half after half-past five p.m. in tho afternoon. 5. No apprentice shall be allowed to any employer unless two bona-ride journeymen bo employed. An employer who personally works at the trade shall lie considered for this purpose a journeyman. If four journeymen be employed, then, and in such case, tho emoloyer may employ two apprentices, but in no case shall the employer employ more than two apprentices. Each apprentice shall be bound by indentures for a period of five years. The indentures of the apprentices to be produced to the secretary of the union if required. 6. Jobbers shall receive 10s per day of nine hours and a-half, and overtime as abovo stated in paragraph 4 hereof. 7. Sunday sponging shall cover all public holidays as expressed in rule 24 of the union. If workmen are requested to work on holidays they shall be paid at the rate of time and a-half.

8. No carter shall be employed in any bakehouse. The respective positions of a baker and a carter shall be kept separate; either an employee must be a boua-fide baker or a bona-fido carter, but a baker may deliver bread so long as he does not work more than the prescribed hours. 9. Preference of employment shall be given to members of the Auckland Operative Bakers' Union, provided they are able, willing, and competent to do the work required. 10. In case of any question arising as to the interpretation of anything heroin contained, or as to any matter not herein provided for, such question shall be referred to a committee consisting of five representatives chosen by the workers' union (to bo appointed within 24- hours of the service on the secretary or president of the union of a notice in writing by any employer calling for such appointment) and a like number of representatives on behalf of the other party or parties interested (to be appointed within 24 hours of the service on such party or parties of a notice in writing by the secretary or president of the union calling for such appointment). Every question before such committee shall be decided by the majority of votes of the committeemen considering it—the chairman having one vote onlyand in case of an equality of votes the question shall be submitted by the committee to the chairman of the Conciliation Board of tho district, who shall decide such question. If such committee, or the chairman of the Conciliation Board, if tho question be submitted to him, shall fail to give a decision on any matter referred to it or him, as the case may be, within 10 days from the time of tho service of the last of such notices on the secretary or president of the workers' union of the on© part, or the other party to be affected on tho other, then either party shall be at liberty to deal with such question as if this clause had not been inserted herein. If such committee, or the chairman of tho Conciliation Board, if the question be submitted to him, shall within the said period of 10 days give its or his, as the case may be, decision on such question, then such decision shall be final and conclusive as between the workers' union and every member thereof on the one hand, and any employe! who appointed representatives on such committee on the other.

The .olauses were* dealt with seriatim. Cla.uses 1, 3, 7, 8, and 10 were not objected to, and the remainder were discussed. With regard to the second clause Mr. Hall said he was a country baker, and made no small goods, and asked that a distinction should be made in .such a case, and that work should be allowed to be paid for by the hour, and he .submitted that it would be paid full value for. A first hand, if he received £2 14s per week, and his assistant £2 per week. In the event of payment bein fixed at Is an hour for a first hand, and lOd an hour for the second hand, perhaps on slack days it would not be necessary for the second hand to come. Witness' business was not confined entirely to baking. Mr. Buchanan said the dispute had arisen from the fact of certain bakers not having sufficient work to keep the men constantly employed. He thought that the old award should be adhered to.

Mr. Smerdon said that at a meeting of the Master's Bakers' Association, at which 24 were present, representing one-third of the whole of the master bakers in the city and suburbs, it was resolved that the best course would be to adhere to the old reference, and the old rate of pay, which was £2 14s first hands, £2 5s second hands, and £2 0s 6d for third hands, for a week of 54 hours in each case. This was the feeling of the masters with regard to this clause.

Mr. White drew attention to Mr. Buchanan's .statement with regard to this sort of meeting, and submitted that it did not represent the views of the masters and should not therefore be recognised. 'I he vnron asked for a stipulated weekly wage, md if the employees were granted a rate of pay of Is per hour, it would be only an Irishman's rise, and the employers could at their will reduce the number of hours, and consequently the rate of pay. He contended that Air Hall's argument was unfair, a* if a man was knocked oil in the week he became a jobber, and should receive a jobber's wages. With regard to clause 4 Mr. White spoke at length on the yearning that employees had after social, political life, and rest, and said if the men started work at four a.m. the bread would be ready for delivery at eight a.m. Mr. Buchanan said it did not matter what time baking was stalled, but other tradesmen had to be considered. if the suggestion was adopted it would mean practically ruin for him, and this was no premium for enterprise. Mr. McKeown said if the hours were adopted he would be unable to supply ships that left port at six a.m. He had no objection to the adoption or the hours specified in. the clause if a second shift-wore allowed^

Mr. Hall said country bakers had to deliver their bread long distances, and the hours would be out of the question for them. In answer to Mr. Alison's query as to whether any other hours could be suggested. Mr. Buchanan said that the hours should be fixed to the employer's special condition of business. Mr. King said the f.mr a.m. time had been in vogue some yefirs ago, but it had been found to be impracticable. Mr. White .said the arguments advanced only affected a very small portion of the employers, and thai the hours of the bread carters would be but slightly affected. The difficulty in supplying steamers with bread could be overcome by having bread on hand. The general objection to clause 5 was that a number of bakers were unable to employ journeymen. Mr. White said apprentices to the trade were nut numerous, as they could not be induced to be bound. Mr. Alison inquired if a lad could learn the trade in a less period than five years, as provided for, and this was replied to by Mr. McKeov.ii in the affirmative. Mr. White said the object in making tin term of apprenticeship for a period of live years was to turn out thoroughly competent tradesmen. Clause 6 was represented as applying to casual journeymen. Mr. SmerJon said it was the opinion of the masters that ■he rate of pay should be Is per hour. Mr. While said the union did not object to half a day's work being done for ss, Mr. Smerdon proposed that the rate be not less than 5s for a half a day's work, and that the rate be "Is per hour. Mr. 'White said the union were agreeable to this. Clause 8 ivas not objected to, except in the case of country bakers, who. in cases of emergency, were compelled to employ their carters in the bakehouse. Mr. White said it was the principle that was to be upheld, and if a clause allowing carters to act was inserted, the employer would have to show good grounds for the employment of a carter in this respect. The clause was agreed to on the union's assurance that cases of strict emergency would not be taken up. Chaise 9 was left to the decision of the Board. Mr. White, in reply to the chairman, asked that the award be binding for two years. "" . The Chairman announced that the Board would give their award on Monday next, at half-past two p.m.