INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11823, 28 November 1901, Page 5

INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION-.]

Wellingtons Wednesday. Tee Arbitration Court delivered its award in the drivers' dispute to-day. Two classes of labour are dealt with in the award, and an all round increase of wages and decrease of hours is ordered. The secretary" of the union estimates that the drivers of Wellington, Petone; and Hutt, who number between 500 and 600. will benefit to the extent of some £13,000 per annum. About 160 employers were parties to the case. The Arbitration Court, in its award in the farriers and blacksmiths' dispute, fixes the week's work at 46 hours, tile minimum rate of wages to be 10s a day for farriers and smiths, and 8s 6d a day for Moormen. All boys taken on after the 30th inst. are to be indentured for six years if retained at the expiry of. three months' probation. In the building trades' labourers' dispute, the week's work is fixed at 45 hours. All men assisting bricklayers, plasterers, and masons, shall be paid a minimum of Is Id an hour, general labourers, Is an hour, and -builders, Is 2d an hour. Boys shall only be employed in the proportion of one to every four labourers, but apprentices assisting journeymen are not affected by this clause.

The Conciliation Board's recommendations for the settlement of the dispute in the grocery trade proposes that the minimum weekly wage shall be: Shops, where there are more' than three employees, £3 10s for the first counter-hand, £3 for the second counter-hand, and £2 5s for thirdclass hands, and those below them, where less than three men are employed, £2 10s for the first and £2 5s for the second hand. Where an employer is regularly employed in the shop at ordinary work, he shall be classed as first shopman. The indenturing of apprentices shall not be compulsory, but if indentured a boy must not be less than 15 years of age, and the term of apprenticeship shall be four or five years. DuNEDiN, Wednesday. The Conciliation Board filed its recommendation iii the dredgemen's dispute. Eight hours are recognised as shift time, beyond that to be overtime, except time not exceeding one hour in washing mats. Minimum wage in the Molyneaux and gorges above Roxburgh is to be 10s; below Roxburgh, 8s ; in the rest of the industrial district, 8s ; shifts to go round, except in the Molyneaux and Awafua, Where the engineer will be on nay shift. No cadet is to work in the dredge hands' shift unless paid full wages ; wages to be paid monthly ; four holidays are to be observed. For Sunday and holiday work double rates to be paid. in the iron and brass moulders' dispute the minimum wage is fixed at Is 3d per hour. The apprentices are to be in the proportion of one to three men in iron moulding and one to one in brass moulding. Preference is given to unionists.