WAGES OF LABOURERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16128, 17 January 1916, Page 7

WAGES OF LABOURERS.

BUILDING TRADE DISPUTE. MATTER STILL UNSETTLED. AGREEMENT ON MINOR POINTS. The Conciliation Council, under the presidency of Mr. T. Harle Giles, Conciliation Commissioner, sat at Whangarei last week, in connection with the Auckland builders' labourers' dispute. The assessors for the employers were Messrs. S. I. Clarke, Auckland, and A. Lyons and F. Cutforth, of Whangarei, whilst the union was represented by Messrs. \V. E. Rich ards and R. J. Heffron, Auckland, and E. Hinton, Whangarei. An agreement was arrived at in regard to the variolic union clauses. 'Ihe agreement provides that the actual working time per week shall net exceed 44 hours, whilst tho actual time per day shall not exceed eight hours for the first five working days of the week and four hours on Saturday. The work shall commence not earlier than 8 a.m., and shall; cease at five o'clock, one hour to be ! allowed for dinner, except on Saturday, ] when work shall cease at noon. All time worked beyond the hours mentioned shall be considered overtime, and shall bo paid for at the. rate of time-and-a quarter for Hie first two hours, time-and-a-half for the next two hours, after which double time rates shall be paid, each day to stand by itself, and payment made accordingly. Rates for Special Work. All hot and dirty work dine inside bakers' ovens, retorts, and furnaces during working hours shall be paid for at the rate of time-and-a-half, and if done on Sundays or holidays at the rate of double time. Double time shall bo paid for all work done ou Sunday, Christinas Day, , Good Friday, Labour Dav, and New Year's Day, and time-and-a half for all work done on Boxing Day, Easter Monday, and the Sovereign's birthday. Wages shall be paid not later than Friday of each week, during working hours, within a radius of 10 miles from tho corner of Karangahape Road and Symonds Street, Auckland, and outsido this radius wages shall be paid weekly during working hours. All wages shall bo paid on the dismissal of the labourer. When any worker is required to light or extinguish lamps on -any one job on Saturdays, Sundays, or on anv holiday other than working days, he shall be paid 2s 9d for such work, and Is 3d additional on anyadditional job on tho same day. Piece work by labourers is prohibited. It. is provided in the agreement that a modern first-aid emergency case, fully equipped. shall bo kept by the employers in a convenient and accessible place on every job where the inspector of factories shall deem it necessary-. Youths may be employed at such lower wage than that prescribed, as shall be agreed on in writing by the employer concerned and the president "or secretary of the union. The proportion of youths shall be not more than one to everv six or fraction of six men, fully employed. The usual clause in regard to underrate workers is inserted. The award covers the whole of the Northern industrial district. Wages Yet to be Settled. Several points yet remain to be decided, and will he discussed at a further meeting of the council to be held at th<» office of the commissioner on Monday next. The items in dispute at which no decision has so far been arrived at are as follows : — Hours of work in wet places, wages, the supplying of tools, suburban and countrywork, accommodation, existing contracts and preference. The union asks that the workers' representative should have the right of entry to all jobs. In regard to wages the claims include payment of Is 5d per hour for ordinary builders' labourers and Is 6d per hour for men working in trenches or scaffold building. Under the previous award there was no distinction in classes of labour. All labourers engaged in work in connection with the erection, alteration, or demolition of any building, whether of brick, concrete, stone, wood or iron, or preparing or excavating any ground for the same had to be paid not less than Is 2d per hour. The union also asks that tools should bo provided by the employer, whereas under the previous award it was the custom for the worker to find a graft and square mouthed shovel. Travelling time m connection with suburban and country work is also asked for. The employers ask that in the event of an increase of wages being given existing contracts should bo exempt "from the increase.

Employers Oppose Preference. The previous award in relation to builders' labourers only operated within a radius of ten miles from" the Auckland Chief Post Office. It is now desired by the union that its operations .should be extended to the whole of the Northern district. The employers oppose preference to unionists on the ground that districts which had never been subject to the preference o'.auso would not be brought, under its provisions. The term of the award is also left in abcvanco until the tinal sitting. Hearingsof the dispute, -which applies to the whole of the Northern industrial district, have also taken place in Auckland and in Hamilton.

CONTRACTORS' LABOURERS' WAGES INCREASED RATES DEMANDED. The Auckland contractors' labourers' dispute also occupied the attention of the Conciliation Council during its sittings at Whangarei. The assessors for the employers were Messrs. W. E. Hutchison and S. E. Wricht, of Auckland, and F. Cutforth, of Whangarei, whilst the union was ' represented by Messrs. W. E. Richards \ and R. J- Heffron, of Auckland, and E. Hinton, of Whangarei. The questions of overtime, holidays, lighting of lamps, piecework, under_- rate workers, termination of engagement, accidents, employment of youths, and the scope of the award were agreed upon in identical terms to those in connection with the Auckland builders' laburers" disoute. It was agreed, that timber, when required to be used in trenches, shall not bo smaller than slabs 9in by 2in. and struts 4in bv 3in. In tunnels or shafts, timbering is to be approved by the representatives of the union and the em plover, and. failing agreement, the matter is to be referred to the engineer in charge '' the work, whose decision shall be finah In all drives and tunnels over four chains in length provision for fresh air shall be made to the extent of 30 cubic feet per man per minute. Amongst a number of minor matters, it -was agreed that country work shall be carried out in the terms of the Br'cklavers' Award.

The following clauses have not been Fettled, and will be discussed at the sitting of the Conciliation Council on January 26:— Hours of work in wet places, rat" to he paid for shift- work, tunnel work, and rite of wages. The union asks that Is 6d tier hour should he naid for concrete, asphalt, and tar wort!* If 8d per hour for kerning and channelling, and laying and cleaning drains. Tt also asks for Is 9d ner hour for eneiredrivers, 2s 6d per hour (in-, and ?d per hour wet. for ponper-drill men. In the previous award the rate, of nay tol- - emnloved in tunnels a"d trenches to the denth of 9ft was Is 3d per hour, whilst other classes of labour were paid at lie rat? of Is 2d an hour. A request is also made for preference.