ARBITRATION COURT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11856, 7 January 1902, Page 6

ARBITRATION COURT.

The Arbitration Court resumed its sittings at the Supreme Court yesterday, after the Christmas vacation. His Honor Mr. Justice Cooper, President of the Court, and Messrs. Brown and Slator, members, were present. DISPUTE IN THE BAKING TRADE. The first case called by the clerk (Mr. R. Goring ■ Thomas) was the Auckland Operative Bakers' Union and the master bakers of Auckland. \ Messrs -Gilbert Hamilton, Wm. F. Whyte,: and George Wliitcombe, represented the union. Messrs. - Geo. Smeraon, Walter Buchanan, and Charit; Kingsford, represented most of the masters, about .20 of whom were present. Mr. Whyte, in opening the • case for the union, read the conditions asked by them, the principal ones being as follows 1. Nine hours and one half-hour shall constitute a day's labour, a including one half-hour for breakfast and one hour for sponging. 2. ! The rate of wages shall be 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 union and the employers. * 4. No person shall commence work before four a.m., except on Wednesday and Saturday, when he shall not commence before two a.m. After the stated hours aro up overtime shall bo paid as follows, viz.: Time and a-quarter time up ; to half-past five p.m. in the afternoon, and time and a-half time after halfpast five p.m. in the afternoon. 5. No apprentice shall be allowed to any employer unless two bona-fide journeymen be employed. An employer who personally works at the trade shall be considered for this purpose a journeyman. If four journeymen be employed, then, and in such case, the employer may employ two apprentices, but in no case shall the employer ; employ more than two apprentices. Each apprentice shall bo bound by indentures for a, period of five vears. 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-hour, and overtime as above stated in paragraph four 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 time. 8. No carter shall bo employed in any bakehouse. The. respective positions of, a baker and a carter shall be kept separate; either an employee must be a bona-fide baker or a bona-fide carter, but a baker may deliver bread so long as he does not work more than the prescribed hours. 9. Preference of employment shall bo given to members 'of . the .. Auckland . Operative Bakers' Union, provided they are able, willing, and competent to do the work required. 'Several witnesses were examined in support of the . union's ease. _ Mr. Smerdon opened the case for the Employers' Union,, and outlined their position on the main points as follows: —(1) Nino hours and a-half shall constitute a day's labour, including one half-hour for breakfast and one hour for sponging. (2) The. rate of wages shall be "as follows;-Foremen, Is per hour; second hands, lOd uer hour; any other hands, 9d per- hour; jobbers, Is per hour. All hands to receive dry pay. (3) Improvers' wages to be adjusted by a committee of employers and journeymen. Improvers to include inferior tradesmen and men incapacitated by old age, or otherwise. (4) That the time for starting work be left to the option of the employers. (5) Any employer shall be allowed to have an apprentice. Not' more than two apprentices shall be allowed to one house." Each apprentice shall be bound by indentures, the terms of indenture to be settled bv employer and parents or guardian of the lad to be bound. (7) Sunday sponging shall cover all statutory holidays. If journeymen are required to work on those days they shall be paid at the rate of time and a-half. (8) No carter shall be employed in any bakehouse in connection with the manufacture of any goods in the baking trade, but a baker may deliver bread so long as he does not work more than the prescribed hours. (9) Preference may be given ,to members .of _ tho Auckland Operative Bakers' Union, provided they are competent to do the work required. Mr. H. Hall and Mr. Johnston, both of Otahuhu. also addressed the Court, and pointed out that tho reouirements of tho trade there differed from those in the city. The Court then adjourned till this morning, when the case for the employers will bo resumed. -

CARPENTERS AND JOINERS' DISPUTE. The award of the Court in the matter oi

the dispute between the Auckland branch of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners and the employers in Auckland, was delivered by Ilis Honor, the following being a resume: — _ . Clause I: That except as mentioned in clause 2 hereof, the recognised hours of work of journeymen carpenters and joiners shall bo from eight a.m. to five. p.m. * n every week day except Saturday; one hour to be allowed on each such day for dinner. On. Saturdays tho hours of work shall bo from eight a.m. to noon. Clau3o 2: That in factories in which tho whole of the work performed by the journeymen carpenters and joiners employed is performed in the factory of the employer the recognised hours of work shall be from halfpast' seven a.m. to five p.m., with one hour for dinner, and from half-past seven a.m. to noon on Saturdays. Clause 3: That all journeymen carpenters and joiners (except as hereinafter mentioned) shall be paid not less •than Is 3d per hour for any work done on any day (other than the days mentioned in paragraphs 9 and 10 hereof), during tho recognised hours of work. Clause 4-: That journeymen carpenters and joiners employed in any factory, in which the whole of the work performed by such carpenters and joiners employed in such facI tory is .-performed in the factory, and who | are continuously employed, save through their own default, for full time for every work day in any one week, shall be paid not less than at the rate of £2 lis for ever} 7 week's work of 4-7 hours. Clause 5: That any journeyman carpenter and joiner who may desire to work in any factory on piece work may work in such factory upon such terms and conditions as to ! pay and otherwise as shall be agreed upon in writing between such journeyman and tho chairman and - secretary of the; union, or, in default of such agreement, ; as _ shall be fixed by the chairman of the Conciliation Board. The number of men who shall be employed on piece work under this clause by any employer shall not at any time exceed the proportion of one such man to every three men to whom the ordinary rate of wages is paid under clause 4. Clause 6 provides for the payment of wages weekly. .. Clause 7 provides that any journeyman who may consider himself incapable of earning the minimum wage may be paid such less wage as shall bo agreed upon by the journeyman and the chairman and secretary of the union, or. in default of such an agreement being mado, the chairman of the Conciliation Board may be appealed to, in order to fix such lower rate o'f wages. Clause 8: All time worked beyond the recognised hours of labour as herein beforementioned shall be considered overtime, and shall be paid for at the rate of time and aquarter for time worked between tho hours of five p.m. and eight p.m. at the rate of time and a-lialf for time worked between the hours of eight p.m. and midnight; and at the rate of double timo betwoen the hours of midnight and the hours fixed under this award for commencing the ordinary day's work. Clause 9: 'Work performed on statutory holidays shall, subject to the provisions of clauso 2 hereof, be paid for at the rate of time and a-quarter between eight a.m. and ten a.m. ; timo and a-lialf between ten a.m. and midnight; and double time between midnight and the hours fixed under this award for commencing work on an ordinary 'day. . Clause 10: Statutory holidays • shall mean the holidays prescribed under" the Factories Act,, 1901. Clause 11: Double time shall bo paid for any work performed on Sunday, Good Friday, and Christmas Day. Clause 12 states that except as provided in clause 5, and except in'respect of stairbuilding, no carpenter or joiner shall ho paid by piece work,, nor shall any builder or employer sublet lvs work labour only. Clauses 13 to 17 make provision for men employed on suburban and country work. Suburban work is work performed over two miles from the Grey-street firebell. and when on such a workman must be allowed and' paid for reasonable time occupied in walking to and from such work. ! Employers , are also to pay ferry steamer fares. On country work the men are to receive Is per day extra, and are to have their travelling expenses to and from the work paid, by th'o employer. Clauses 18, 19, and 20, deal with the keeping in order of workmen's tools. ' Clause 21: No linvfation shall bo put upon tho number of apprentices. Apprentices may bo apprenticed to learn a particular branch, or branches, of the trade or to learn the trade generally. If to. learn one branch only the period of apprenticeship shall be four years. If to learn more than one branch tho period shall bo five years. Apprentices taken after January 6, ISO2, shall be legally indentured. < Apprentices who are now in employment, and whose term of apprenticeship \ commenced prior to the date of this

award, may complete their period of apprenticeship; without a deed; of :! apprenticeship,: but it shall be incumbent upon the employer of any such apprentices, with whom any such apprentice shall be so serving, ,to ; give notice in writing, within one calendar month from the date of this award, to the secretary of the union, of the name of such apprentice, and of the period when his service began and when it is to end. , Clause 22 permits an employer to employ a prospective apprentice for three months on probation. Clause 23 fixes the wages for apprentices as follows:— year, not less than ss; second year, not less than 10s; third year, not less than 15s;' fourth year, not less than £1; fifth year, not less than £1 ss. Clauses 24- to 30 give preference to unionists upon conditions simililr to those imposed in all the recent awards. Clause 32 provides that contracts, by which an employer was bound on December* 1, 1901, may be completed at the present rate of wages, but any employer desiring to take advantage of this provision shall, within 14I days from the present date, give to the secretary of the Workers' Union, and also to tho secretary of the Employers' Union, notice of the contracts in respect of which he claims to bo entitled to the benefits of the provision.. - ... The scope of the award; is limited to employers whose principal 'place of business is in the City of Auckland, or within a radius of 10 miles from the chief post office, Auckland. The award is to come into operation on Monday, January 13, 1802, and continue in forco till January 13, 1904.