SAFEGUARD AGAINST STRIKES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15169, 7 December 1912, Page 8

SAFEGUARD AGAINST STRIKES.

OCAL BODIES' LABOURERS.

A NEW AGREEMENT.

SECURED BY CONCILIATION.

PREFERENCE TO UNIONISTS.

INCREASED WAGES.

\ ircLi. settlement of the suburban and j local bodies' labourers' dispute has been B arrived at through the mediation of the * Conciliation Council, which completed an fa agreement yesterday under the presidency fc of the Commissioner (Mr. T. Harlo Giles). v It will be remembered that in the early e part of this year the' Federation of Labour u endeavoured to force the hands of the J local bodies in respect to the demands of % the latter's employees, The federation s r attempt was unsuccessful, and resulted in; ( the Suburban and Local Bodies Industrial x Union of Workers being formed and re- « guttered under tho Conciliation and Arbi- g tration Act. The fact that a mutually j satisfactory agreement has .been arrived t at constitutes another triumph, for peaceful and constitutional' methods in the set- t tlemeht" of industrial' disputes." L Tlie assessors for the local bodies were - Messrs. J. M. Mcnnie (City Council), W. ( E. Hutchison (Harbour Board), and M.J. Coyle (Local Bodies' Association), and for the union Messrs. .W. H. Hammond, C. Neild, and D. KeUeher- Mr. C. Grosvenor , appeared for the employers,' assisted by ; Mr. W. E. Bush (city engineer) and. Mr. > W. H. Hamer (Harbour. Board engineer). Mr. F. R. Bust represented the union. _ * The new agreement, which is to be rati- | fied as an award under the Act, provides for a general all-round incrcaso in wages. Its chief features, however, are the preference and strike clauses! Tho former is of : a stringent nature, and provides that the union shall not take any steps to make any application for the. purple of cancelling, its registration -under the Act. Provision is also made for. the employers, When requested to do so by the union, to take into consideration theadvisability of dismissing any worker failing to join the union after being served with a notice so to do. By the provisions of the 6trike clause the union has agreed to do all in its power to prevent a strike of the workers concerned, and clauses are included which make the prospect of a strike remote. Tho terminal date of the agreement is January 31, 1914. The, Preference Clauses. Tho following is the full text of the preference clauses in the new agreement :— (a) The employers shall recognise the '. Auckland and Suburban Local Bodies' Labourers' Industrial Union of Workers registered under the Conciliation and Ari bitration Act, and the said union ' covenants that it will not, during the continuance of this award, take any steps to make any application for ,the purpose of cancelling its' registration thereunder. (b) In tho event of any employer bound by this award hereinafter engaging any worker who is not a member of the union, and who, within one calendar month after his engagement, does not become and remain a member of the union, the employer shall dismiss such worker from Jiis ser--1 vice if required to do so by the. union, ', » provided there is then »• member of .the > union equally qualified to perfprm the i particular work required to be done, and t ready and willing to undertake the same, i .(c) Further, any employer shall, ' when • requested by the union .to'do, so, take • into consideration the advisability of dis- > missing any. worker now employed by him, 3 if after 14 days fror* ■ the service upon • such worker by the un'on of & notice re- • quiring him to join thr' unison such worker 3 refuses or neglects to Income and remain a member of the union. (d) The provisions of the foregoing clause shall operate only if, and so long as, the rules of the union permit any person of good character and sober habits to become a member of the union upon payment of an entrance fee not exceeding 0 5s upon a.written or. verbal application, S without ballot or ■ other election, and to ? continue a. member upon payment of subsequent contributions not exceeding per week.

(e) An employer sh all not bo compelled to re-employ any worker who at any time has been discharged from his employment, notwithstanding that such discharged worker may ho or become and remain a momber of the union. . ... • (f) In the event of retrenchment or : shortening of hands 'taking place, preference of employment shall be given to members of the union,, provided always that such members are equally competent to perform the particular work required to be done and are ready and willing to undertake the same. (gj No official of any corporate body bound by this award shall bo a member of the union. Prevention of Strikes. j The clause* relating to strikes are as follows :— (a) The union shall do all m its power to prevent any strike by, any of the workers affected by this award, and if any strike shall occur in which any members of the union shall take part, such strike shall be prima-facie evidence that the union baa committed a breach of its duty hereunder. (b) Tho union expressly covenants and agrees that it will noVas a union recognise, 'take part in, aid,abet..or in anyway promote or assist any strike/ unless and until a secret ballot has been token of all financial members of tho union, and the consent obtained of at least three-fourths of such members, and unless and until, subsequent to such ballot and consent, at least six weeks' notice in writing has been given to the employers. Provided always that tho taking of such ballot and the consent of such majority 6hall not in any way lessen or remove any liability otherwise resting upon tho union under the Conciliation and Arbitration Act or otherwise. (c) Any ballot taken under this clause shall bo under tho supervision and control of the Conciliation Commissioner for the district or any other-officer hereinafter appointed by the Government for such purpose. (d) If any strike shall occur in which the union or a majority of its members shall take part and in respect of which a secret ballot shall not have been taken as aforesaid, or the consent of three-fourths of the financial members shall not have'given, or the said six weeks' notice in writing shall not havo been given, the union shall be deemed to have committed a breach of this award.

(ej If any strike by any of the workers affected by'this award shall occur then the operation of all the provisions contained in the foregoing clauses of this award shall at the. option of tho employers be suspended, and in lieu thereof the following provisions shall come into force and shall remain in force until a further award shall be made or this award revived, that ie to .say, the hours of work, wages, and other conditions of work for all workers coining within: tho scope of this award shall be fixed by agreement between tho employers and tho individual workers employed by them. All-round Increase in Wages. The minimum rates of wages to be paid to the. several .classes of workers reprelscnt .an all-round- increase. The new

.scale • is as foil -ws .—General labourers, Is Id per hour; metal spreaders, la 2d; refuse lifters, Is i*d; pipe layers, Is quarrymen, Is ljdj machine drill men (at quarry), Is 3d; hydrant men, Is lid; tar workers, la ljd; street wishers, Is Id; drainers, Is Id. Destructor department: Leading hands. 10s 6d per shift; iloormen, 9a 6d ; receivers, 9s. ■ __ It is provided in sub-section (b) that any suburban local body may employ general hands at a minimum wage of 9s per day, who shall, if required, besides performing ordinary work, do any tarring or sanding, metal spreading, quarrying, or refuse lifting. Any employee already receiving any I excess of the above-mentioned schedule rates shall not be reduced by reason ot the provisions of this - award, excepting under the terms provided by sub-section (b).

The Holidays and' Other Clauses. Tho recognised holidays under the agreement are :—New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Birthday of the Reigning Sovereign, Labour Day, "stmas Day\ Boxing* Day, and the Saturday upon which the union's annual picnics is held. No deduction from the wages shall bo .made in respect of such holidays, provided that casual hands are not to bo entitled to any pay for such Hobdays i until after three months' service. Permanent hands required to work .any ©fc the above-mentioned holidays shall be en titled to receive payment at ordinary rates, in addition to the holiday pay. Casual hands required to work on Chnstmas Day and Good Friday shall be paid at the rate of double time, and on the remaining holidays above-mentioned tlioy shall be paid at tho rate of .time J and ahalf, such payment to be made only for the actual time worked. The usual clauses are provided in respect to overtime, under-rate workers,and alleged breaches of tho award. No alter JLt has been made in the hours of work, which remain at 47 per week when not otherwise specified. Intimidation Condemned.

The Council was unanimous in recommending that the several corporate bodies who were parties to the award should £08 1 in conspicuous places the following notice and rigidly enforce the same :—• "Notice is hereby given that any employee shall bo subject to ostant jdismissal who shall, in any *» or places within the jurisdiction of the employers, use towards any other person the. term •scab,' or any other, offensive, abusive, or insulting epithet or phrase, -any language likely to provoke a breach of the place; or who stall *» towards toy other Person any threat or language, or do any act for tlw purpose or likely to cause intimidation.' Thanks to the Commissioner. At the close of the proceedings, Mr. Mennie. for the, employers, moved . a Wv vote of thanks to the Commissioner lor 'the able and courteous manner iri which he had conducted the dispute ThL ponded by Mr. Hammond and supported by all the assessors. Mr Hart* Gh£, in reply, expressed hw deep appreciation of the services rendered by the SeSrs/and by Messrs. Grosvenor fob, and Bust. The dispute, bo said, had been conducted in as friendly a manner as possible. : „^____—-