PARTIAL SETTLEMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16034, 28 September 1915, Page 5

PARTIAL SETTLEMENT.

♦ DISPUTE BEFORE COUNCIL. RATTAN AND WICKER WORKERS. After a sitting lasting for two days the Conciliation Council, tinder the presidency of Mr. T. Harle Giles, arrived at a partial settlement of the rattan and wicker workers' dispute.

Clauses relating to hours of work, overtime, holidays, apprentices, under-rate workers, preference, scope of award and term of award were agreed upon. : • In the apprentice clause, the wages were fixed as under: First year, increase from 7s 6d to 10s per week; second year, increase from 12s 6d to 14s ; third year, 17s 6d, as at present; fourth year, £1 ss, as at present. At the end of his term of four years, any apprentice . may continue for a further term of 12 months as an improver at a minimum weekly wage of £1 15s. The number of apprentices was limited to one to every three journeymen or fraction of three, hut in no case shall an apprentice be taken on until at least two journeymen are employed. The award is to terminate on December 31, 1917, the date when the Christchurch award expires. In regard to wages, classes of workers, piece work and employment of boys, no agreement was. reached, and these clause* were referred to the Arbitration Court. At the close of . the proceedings Mr. S. Sampson, on behalf of the men, moved that a hearty vote of thanks-be accorded j the commissioner for the painstaking and patient manner in which he had dealt with i the dispute. He said it was due to no fault on the part of Mr. Giles that no complete settlement was arrived at. The motion was seconded by Mr. A. Thompson, on behalf of the employers and carried unanimously.