CARPENTERS' WORK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23149, 22 September 1938, Page 16

CARPENTERS' WORK

AWAED DISCUSSION LITTLE PROGRESS MADE REVISION OF CLAIMS SOUGHT [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] "WELLINGTON, Wednesday Little progress toward agreement having been made in the day's discussion of the Dominion carpenters, joiners and joiners' machinists' dispute the Conciliation Counpil considering the dispute adjourned to-day until tomorrow. The workers' representatives were urged by the employers' representatives and the Conciliation Commissioner to confer during tho A night and return to-morrow morning with claims nearer the existing award than those which the council had been discussing.

The method of paying wages on an hourly basis instead of a weekly one was blamed by the workers' assessors as one of the reasons for a shortage of tradesmen in the Dominion. The workers asked for payment on a weekly basis, and also that workers employed for less than 52 weeks be classed as casual at an hourly rato of 3d higher than that paid to permanent employees. A 40-hour five-day week was sought, with a wage demand of £6 a week, plus os a week tool allowance. The employers offer 2s 8d an hour with 3d an hour tool money.

The conditions clauses proposed by the workers were discussed throughout tho day without decision being reached on many. "This is the worst day's work 1 have done," said the Commissioner, Mr. M. J. Beardon, when the council was about to adjourn. "Unless there is some compromise to-morrow we are only wasting our energies going further. The dispute will certainly be thrust back to conciliation later. Lt seems to me, with all' due respect to the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters, that they are putting out some propaganda that has nothing to do with the award at all. They would be wise to revise their claims overnight." A remark that tho employers' representatives should consider overnight bringing forward a moro reasonable wages claim reopened discussion on wages. The commissioner said that probably the employers should say at. that stage what was the most they could give. Several speakers on the employers side said they would not increase wages. They had the support of their associations' members and they believed that wages should be increased by the Court and not by Conciliation Council. If an increase were to be given the Court would have to do it.