BRICKWORKERS' AWARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18381, 23 April 1923, Page 9

BRICKWORKERS' AWARD.

ATTITUDE OF THE UNION.

CONFERENCE SUGGESTED.

The recent award of the Arbitration Court in the brickworkers' dispute was discussed at a meeting of the Auckland Brickworkers' Union. The- following resolution was carried: "In view of the unjust clauses contained in the new award covering the brickmaking industry, this meeting of -brickworkers suggests that employers" cited in connection with the award shall meet representatives 'of . the union to discuss the clauses under dispute,. ■ with a chairman to be mutually agreed upon, the basis of the discussion to be i (1) '.-;.' A 56hour week, 48 hours to be paid at rates now being paid at the various works; (2) overtime at Arbitration Court rates to be paid for the last eight hours to continuous burners ; (3) casual burners, when called on to do casual burning at night after having worked all day, shall be paid time and a-half."

A reply to the statement of Mr. S. E. Wright on the subject of the award was made by Mr. J. Purtell. secretary to the Brickworkers' Union. Mr. Purtell, in the course of his statement, said: — of the first points made by Mr. Wright is that the work of the burners is not laborious. I fancy Mr;- Wright would change his opinion if he had to wheel four tons of coal up a steeo incline besides attendin? to a number of fires. I agree that the night work is not very heavy, but I do not agree that, because a task is not so hard as other work, the worker shsll b° sentenced to abnormally lons • hours. The emplovers'i witnesses admitted jrreater efficiency by, two shifts; the union's witnesses did not. All witnesses did not agree that they would sooner have the 70 hours than the 56; only the -employers' witnesses.

"Mr Wright agrees that - all employers pay higher rates than prescribed m "the award, which shows that the Court made a mistake. As to Mr. Wright's contention that-agreement to the union's proposals would mean dearer bricks and consequently higher rents, I am prepared to show that the price of bricks is 100 per cent, more than in 1914, and that wages are about 60 per cent. more. If it were necessary to increase the price of bricks, it would mean Is per 1000."