WAGES OF PLUMBERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20203, 13 March 1929, Page 15

WAGES OF PLUMBERS.

UNION SEEKS INCREASE.

COMPARISON WITH AUSTRALIA. COURT RESERVES DECISION. Questions in dispute in (ho Plumbers Bnd Gasfitters' award were argued in the Arbitration Court yesterday. Mr. Justice Frazer presided and with him were Mr. G. T. Booth, employers' representative, and Mr. A. L. Monteith, employees' representative. Mr. T. Clark, secretary of the Plumbers' Union, said the trade called for six years' apprenticeship, followed by an examination, and for these reasons it was considered the minimum wage should bo higher than 2s 3d an hour, the rate fixed in the old award. It had been held the average increase in the cost of living since 1914 was 62£ per cent. In 1914 the wage was Is 6d and an increase of 62i per ' cent, on that would amount to 2s sid. Higher wages were paid in Australia and he had been informed by men who had gone to New South Wales that the cost of living was not higher there than in New Zealand. Conditions in the trade in Auckland were not good and registered men were out of work. His Honor: Would any more men be able to find work if the minimum wage was 2s lid, as in Australia? It is considered tho majority of registered men obtain more than 2s 3d. Mr. Clark said the majority were working for the minimum wage. "State of Trade the Trouble." His Honor said the Court had not added the extra 50 per cent, on to any occupation above that of a labourer. Only in cases where wages were very low in 1914 had such a large increase been granted. He considered the whole trouble was the state of the trade at present. In (Wellington conditions were fairly good and men were obtaining 2s 6d an hour. Mr. Clark said the anion also wished the words, "if working continuously," deleted from the clause dealing with overtime pay. Legal advice was to the effect that it meant employees would have to work the four hours on pay-and-a-half before qualifying for double pay, which obtained after 10 p.m.

Replying to Mr. Clark's request that the preference to unionists clause should be made retrospective to apply to men working under the last two awards His Honor said it had been the policy to make such a clause retrospective for one award only. It was mainly a question of principle. Viewpoint ol Employers. Mr. S. E. Wright, who appeared for the employers, said it was considered the minimum wage now operative applied only to gasfitters, who needed little apprenticeship, and unregistered plumbers. In 19 cases out of 20 employers recognised the value of the registered man and paid him above the minimum rate. Tho previous award contained the words "if working continuously" in the overtime clause and employers had. always paid double time after 10 o'clock. So long as reference was made to tho time the extra' words did not matter.

Two employers of registered plumbers gave evidence that they paid over 2s 3d an hour.

His Honor intimated the Court would consider the points in dispute. In reference to the term of the award, for which employers claimed three years and employees one year, he said it was the usual practice i.n such circumstances to make the term two years. Both parties agreed to this.