CONCILIATION BOARD

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1847, 31 July 1907, Page 55

CONCILIATION BOARD

THE BA KERB’ DISPUTE

A sitting ol’ the Conciliation Board was held Wednesday morning to hear a dispute filed by the Wellington Opera-' tivo Bakers'.,lndustrial Union of Workers. Messrs 1\ 3. O’Regan (chairman), 11. Tunics (employers’ representative). A. 11. Cooper and A. Collins (employees' representatives) were present. Mr F. Bedford was unable to attend.

The union was .represented by Mr W. 11. Westbrooks and Mr J. Harlcn (president, of the union), and .the employers, present Were— Messrs W. A. Fellow (president of the Master Bakers' Association), H. F. Allen (secretary), and Messrs F. McFarland, J. Godber, and George Dickson.

The principal demands of the union are as follow:; —Hours of labour to be forty-five per week, no overtime to be worked on Wednesdays. ’The hour of starting to- be 4 a.iii. every day of the week, and if an employee commences earlier, all time worked- between midnight and the ordinary time of commencement to be paid at the rate of double time. The minimum rates or wages asked - for were: I ofemen, <£3 10s per week (as' against £3); any man, except a foreman, working an oven to receive £3 5.s (as against £2 10s); all other men. £3 (as against £2 ss). All second hands to be c-ompotenf •to take loreman's nlgon '.when necessary. Regarding apprentices', if they are kept on after three months’ probation the foreman is to receive 2s 6d per week for the first year, 5s for the second, 7s 6cl for the third, and 10s for the fourth, in addition to his ordinary wages, for; instructing them. All the men to receive dry pay—i.e., no hoarding on the premises. It is also proposed to do away with the employment book. About three hundred employers were cited:

Mr If el low, replying to the chairman, said tho parties had twice met in conference, but nothing had been agreed upon. The masters had desired to make two explanations to the Board and then retire. They did not consider it right that Air Collins should sit a® a member, he being secretary of a number of unions, and, no doubt, helping to formulate their demands. Moreover, if the proposals were granted it would close about half'the bakehouses in Wellington. They intended to take the dispute direct to the Arbitration Court. The chairmani Ido not think I should allow you to say that. I do not think it is fair to the Board to say you are going to take the case-direct to the Arbitration Court. If the Board is not put on. a .more satisfactory basis this session I shall not waste my time with it any longer. ."We. have done the best, we can, and have met with the most ungenerous treatment.

Mr Kellow: You interrupted me before I had finished. It had been decided by members of his union to refer, the matter to the Arbitration Court direct, as they felt it would be impossible for the Board to arrange anything that could possibly be satisfactory to both parties, as the employees demanded so much in excess of what the masters were prepared to give. lie apologised if he had said anything which had offended the Board.

The chairman : What do 3' on take exception to? Mr Kellow: We take exception to the whole of the demands and the restrictions. : :

The chairman : I think the way in which employers treated the . Board on a former occasion in connection with the cooks and waiters' award should be a warning to them. The Board had to make recommendations, and as they wanted to make rational ones they desired the assistance of those in a position to supply them with information. At the request of the chairman, Mr, Kellow reviewed the demands from a purely personal poiht of view. The hour of starting was too late, and iinfair_to the carters. It should be 2 o’clock. The reduction asked for was also too large, and the increase of wages out of all proportion. It was tbo public tli&t .was really before the Board, because they would have to pay the increases. The men were not squeezing the employers. With reference to apprentices, Mr Kellow said he had had two, and both had proved failures. He had four Australians in his bakehouse because he could not get New Zealanders. He did not favour having boys in the bakehouse. Small bakeries should be provided for their training. He thought apprentices were well paid, as they received 30s a week after serving three and a half, years. £

Mr Westbrooke said the men were only seeking to come into line with othertradesmen. ■ The half-holiday asked for accounted. for the reduction of hours, and that was not unreasonable. The conditions were not such as to attract apprentices to the trade. If employers wanted to train boys they should : makei the conditions easier and the remuneration better. Why, he asked, should bakers be asked to work longer than otlier trades. He had no fear that the trade would be ruined if the demands were acceded to. The increases asked were so slight that the prices would not be affected, nor was there likely to be a decrease in the demand tor bread The chairman said it seemed to him that there was very little that could not be adjusted amicably, except the question of wages and-hours, lie suggested that the parties should confer- on these points. ’ *" ' An application was made by Mr Godber that the pastrycooks and confectioners' should be exempted from the_ agreement, and the chairman intimated that due consideration would be given to the . application.

Mr Blackie (secretary of the. Drivers' Union) asked the £k>a.*J, when considering the demands, to make the hour of starting such as would enable -the men to get finished at a reasonable time at m After further discussion, the employers withdraw, and the chairman intimated that on the return of the Board from the country a. sitting "Could be held here in accordance with the law, and evidence. called. The Board will sit at Masterton on August 16th, Napier 19th. Palmerston orth 21st, and Wanganui 23rd.