DOMINION CARPENTERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19149, 15 October 1925, Page 15

DOMINION CARPENTERS.

SEEKING A NEW AWARD. BETTER HOURS AND' WAGES. PROCEEDINGS IN WELLINGTON. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLING TON. Wednesday. The Dominion dispute created by the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners, with a view to securing a Dominion award, was the subject to-day of a conciliation council meeting at. Wellington between employers and employees. Mr. W. Newton, Conciliation Commissioner, presided. Mr. W. A. W. Grenfell, as secretary to the New Zealand Federated Builders and Contractors' Association, appeared as agent for the employers, and their assessors were Messrs. \V. Ball (Auckland), E. Walpole (Wanganui), A. A. Fletcher and E-" E. Stonebanks (Wellington), J. W. Graham (Christehurch), and H. C. Anderson (Dunedin). The employees' representatives were Mr. T. Bloodworth (Auckland), agent, and Messrs. H. Banfield (Wellington), E. C. Sutcliff (Christchurch), C. E. Hunt (Dunedin), A. Cross (Nelson) and 11. Pottle (Hawke s Bay), assessors. The main points in dispute were the claims of the men for a 40 hour week in place of the present 44-hour week, and for a minimum wage of 3s an hour Sor ordinary working hours, as against the existing rates of 2s per hour for outside work and 2s lgd per hour for factory work. The commissioner said that in all from 3QOO to 4000 employers had been cited and the number of men involved must be upwards of 7000. He expressed the hope that every endeavour would be made to arrive at a full agreement on all points. Mr. Bloodworth said the administration of the award had been excellent. -The workers' representatives had full power to deal with all the matters in dispute. He hoped that a full agreement would be arrived at by the council. Mr. Grenfell concurred in this hope and observed that the administration of the award had been reasonable and fair and free from friction throughout the Dominion. This led to better relations between the parties. The employers' main claims were that there should "be a 44-hour working week ; that the minimum wage for carpenters and joiners should be 2s 2(3 per hour; and that work should commence at 7.30 a.m. instead of 8 a.m., as claimed by the men. For all overtime worked the society claimed double time. The commissioner said the Arbitration Court had laid it down as time and a-half for the first four hours' overtime and double time thereafter. He suggested that the men might accept that. Mr. Bloodworth: We are not in agreement with the Court on that point and if the Court still adheres to that view wo would prefer that the Court itself should tell us so. With regard to holidays the employees claimed that for all holidays :ind days upon which workers were not allowed to work through no fault of their own, ordinary time should be paid, and in the event of workers being required to work on certain statutory holidays double time should bo paid. Mr. Bloodworth said hitherto the carpenters and joiners had merely had times when both work and pay ceased. If they were paid they would have a real holidav. They were very serious about that. Mr. Grenfell pointed out that over 7000 men were involved, and besides, some 50 per cent, of the awards were based on an hourly wage. If the claim was granted in the case of one trade it would be demanded for all in the long run. Mr. Bloodworth: And that is our object. We are not asking it for ourselves only. No decision was arrived at regarding the several questions raised, and the council adjourned until to-morrow.