ARBITRATION COURT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17828, 8 July 1921, Page 5

ARBITRATION COURT.

DOUBLE-BARRELLED CLAIM. | WATCHMAKERS AND JEWELLERS. A new award for the watchmaking and | jewellery manufacturing trade was applied j for in the Arbitration Court yesterday. !On behalf of the union Mr. B. Martin I said the trade was a skilled one, and the j anion asked that the hours should be rei duced from 4oj to 44 a week to conform ! with the hoars in other skilled trades. la ! regard to wages it was desired that tha j minimum rate for journeyman should ba £6 a week. The present minimum rata I o; £4 ISs a week worked out at 2s ljd an i hour, which was lower than the rate m ; various less skilled trades. The union | a«a.ed :or cine days' holidays from Chnsimas Day to January 2, inclusive, in addition to seven gsneral holidays, including j Ansae Day, which was not satisfactor:)v observeti in Auckland on the last occa^Jon. some having been open and others closed. It was also desired that I piecework should be abolished. The fallowing minimum roles were asked for apprentices:—First year £1 Is a weok, second year £1 6s, third ve;;r £1 Us, fourth year £1 16s, fifth year £2 6s, sixth year £5 Is. Application was made that tho proportion ol apprentices to joumoyl men should be one to three. i Mr. S. E. Wright, for the employers, , said the industry would not st.ind * any ■ further increase in wares or reduction m hours. The minimum wages prescribed by the award were by r.o means tho maximum wages paid. The decree «f skiil required in the trade varied. ;md tie employers recognised tsira skill by pavI ing higher wages. In regard to arpn-.u- ---; tices, there were not sufficient com nig on • to take the places of journeymen, and tiui 1 employers considered bbrs should bo apprenticed tc> branches of the trade, and not to the whole trade. It was maintained I that the present holidays, nine statutorv | days each year, were sufficient,. Tie out- ; put in the manufacturing trade depended i on the time worked by the jourr.evmon, i and the position was thus different from j that, of shop assistants, whose work when j they were away on annual holiday was ; done by others on the staff. To 'reduce the hours of work would increase the overI head cost in proportion to the lessened output. Owing to competition with Australia the present time was not opportune ! to increase in any way the cost of tnanvji facture. The abolition of piecework was also opposed. After evidence had been given on bohalf of the employers the Court reserved its decision. EMPLOYEES IN THEATRES. AGREEMENT BY THE PARTIES. An agreement was announced in tha Arbitration Court yesterday in connection with an application for interpretation of certain clauses in the award relating to frout-of-the-housa employees in theatres. The parties had decided that the hours for caretakers should be arranged between the employer and tho worker. The overtime rate for tho various classes of out* ployees was fixed at 2s 6d an hour. Caretakers are to receive an annual holiday of 14 days on full pay. A continuous pi.v ture show was defined as one in which a programme was shown more than onco daily. Mr. Justice Frazer said he was pleiased the parties had been able to arrange matters amicably. The Court would giva effect to the terms of the agreement.