LABOUR DISPUTES.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4395, 28 June 1901, Page 6

LABOUR DISPUTES.

WELLINGTON CONCILIATION BOARD. v The Wellington Conciliation Board resumed the hearing of the dispute filed by the Letterpress Printers’ Machinists’ and Lithographers’ Union yesterday. Tne same representatives appeared as on the opening day. , Among the correspondence read by the chairman was a letter from Mr J. jl'. M. Hornsby, of Carterton, asking the Board to consider the propriety of hearing the country printers at a meet, ing which could be) summoned at the Masterton Courthouse. It would be unfair to include them in the Board’s re. commendation in any other case. Mr Ferguson objected that it would be unfair to take evidence which the town printers were not present to hear. He also urged that if the Board went anywhere it should go to Wanganui, a larger trade centre, in preference to Masterton. The Chairman replied that the Board had not decided yet what course to adopt The hearing of the evidence of F. V. Bolland (secretary of the union), which had been interrupted, was resumed. Examined by Mr Walsh, witness said he had never admitted that a boy “feeder” could do his work.

To Mr Field: He approved of preference to unionists, because, by joining the union men showed that they took mor e interest in the trade, and also because the best men always joined the union. He had not considered the question of how an employer at Napier, for instance, who had to give forty-eight hours’ notice to the union before employing a non-unionist, would be more quickly served in such a case by the union. If the secretary had not a man on hand h e could wire the employer to that effect, and the latter could employ a non-unionist. If the union had a competent man on hand the latter could be sent up at once. The case Mr Field stated could not happen very often—i.e., where a country employer wanted a machinist in a hurry. He did not consider that a delay of from five to six hours to settle th e matter, would be a hindrance to an employer in any country case. If a man was “clear” on the books of the Christchurch union he would be good on the Wellington books. By producing his “clearance card” the member of any other union would bo admitted to vte Wellington Union. xhe chairman considered that the matter referred to was one susceptible of settlement between the parties to the dispute. \ To Mr Field, witness renlied that tne only test for membership in the union was six years’ experience at the trade. He had only met one man who admitted mat he was incompetent. That man was not a member of the union. All the men in the union he had worked with he considered competent. , , To Mr Flockton: The union had not put in that “forty-eight hours’ notice clause” to humiliate the masters, after preference should have been given to the union. Some persons might look at it in that light. He did not. * Mr Flockton observed that it was very unfair, and ought to be excised. To Mr Fisher witness said he presumed the union would have representatives in the country. It would only be natural that the representative should be empowered t° g rant temporary permits to men where necessary. There were were twenty-three printing offices cited in the case. , , , To the chairman; A man who had only served four years would have to serve two more years to qualify for admission to the union.

Edwin Hicks, factory manager at Whitcombe and Tombs’s, who gave evidence as a practical printer, said his firm employed two competent men in the • letter-press machine department—one at 5s per week and another at £2 15s - x „ After the luncheon adjournment, Mr Walsh intimated that the parties were agreed on the amendment of the demand relating to preference of employment. A discussion then took place on the amendment of by-law 2 in the union’s rules and the conditions under which it could be done, as laid down by the Arbitration Court, so that the parties could come together and accept the usual stereotyped preference clause inserted in awards. Th 0 chairman said it was always preferable if the parties could agree on a preference clause among themselves. It was agreed by the town printers and the union representatives to accept the preference clause inserted by the Board in its recommendation in the plasterers’ dispute. Mr Walsh intimated that in order to meet the case by-law 2 would be altered to read, “That the union should consist of journeymen, letter-press machinists and lithographers, and apprentices in their last year.” The chairman asked the union representatives on which side their sympathies leaned —to shorter hours or higher pay. The union was asking for both in the demands. Mr Walsh replied “ shorter hours.” Mr Ferguson'said the employers would prefer tp give more pay. On the holiday question the only point in dispute was the “ Easter Saturday,” by which was meant the Saturday foh 1 lowing Good Friday. Mr Ferguson said he felt inclined to. give way on the question of opposinc the observance of that day as a holiery. An agreement was subsequently arrive' at. - - i The chairman then proceeded to read i

the clause passed by the Arbitration Court on the minimum wage question for competent journeymen and the exception there made providing for the rates to be paid to incompetent journeymen, through old age and other causes, and asked the parties if they would be willing to accept it. The Hoard had fixed up every case that had Vine before it, and the procedure fol.owed had turned out satisfactorily. July one of the incompetent class, he pointed out, could be employed to four competent, hands. Air Ferguson said ho would rather have a good man at a good price than an incompetent man at a low figure. Tile chairman said if he held a brief for any man it was for the incompetent, through misfortune and old age. Air "Ferguson thought th o proportion should bo fixed. The parties subsequently agreed that “one in three” should be the proportion of incompetents employed, - and that the clause regarding competent journeymen, as read by the chairman, should be accepted. Mr Ferguson then suggested that the parties might come together on the minimum rates of pay for apprentices, and mentioned the following amounts for the six years of apprenticeship; 7s 6d, Ids, 15s, 20s, 255, and 355, which amounted to deducting 2s 6d from the rates demanded by the union from the second to the sixth years. It was agreed ultimately to accept 7s 6d for the first six months, and an increase of 2s 6d every six months, which made a wage of 35s payable at the end of five and a half years of the apprenticeship. It was also agreed that the apprentices should have all the nine holidays mentioned in the demand headed ‘‘holidays,” and b G paid for the same. Mr Ferguson agreed to the overtime rates demanded by the union for apprentices and the non-empldyment of apprentices between midnight and 8 a.in., and on Sundays. Mr Ferguson asked the union representatives if employers were allowed one apprentice in each department—letterpress and lithographic? Mr Walsh said, that the union recognised the two departments, and that employers could have an apprentice in each one. The union made provision for a letterpress apprentice acquiring competency, and he could see something of service on each machine. Mr Ferguson also asked the union representatives if in an apprentice’s sixth year a fresh apprentice could be taken on. A new apprentice would just be becoming useful when the old apprentice’s sixth year ■ was completed. He asKed the union to consider the point. mr Halo asked the Board to consider who was going to teach the apprentices their trade. The Board, which expressed satisfaction at the excellent progress being made, then adjourned till 10.30 this morning.