CONCILIATION COUNCIL

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7870, 4 August 1911, Page 9

CONCILIATION COUNCIL

PROPOSED FORMATION OP GASAVORKBRS* UNION. j t mess association. f INVERCARGILL, August 3The Conciliation Council (JUr Tnggs presiding; to-duy oousiaered another section or the dispute between the Utneral Labourers' Union and public bodies and contractors. In a statement of claims submitted by the union, manses relating to a minimum, rate of wages, work iu dirty pianos, piecework, and payment of wages were rexermt to tho Arbitration Court for consideration, pliiior. clauses were adopted outright or in an amended form. . In the afternoon the council considered claims made on behalf of the corporation gasworks employees by tho General Labourers' Union- Tho corporation roi presentatives at tho outset opposed an award being made which should apply to gasworkers as members of such a comprehensive body as the .General Labourers' Union. They held that tho conditions of gasworkers in a municipal trading concern were entirely different from those of the bulk of labourers who formed tho union. They were not opposed to unionism; they favoured it strongly, but thought that gasworkers as a skilled body of men' should form a union of their pwn arid get an award to apply to themselves alone. The commissioner could do nothing to “bring about a reconciliation, and expressed himself favourably disposed to tho idea of tho formation of a gasworkers' union. Tho union representatives pointed out that their object was to prevent a multiplicity of unions, and thereby lessen the cost of administration. A memorandum was prepared by the Clerk of Awards for the information of the Arbitration Court embodying the objections of tho respondent borough.