LETTERPRESS MACHINISTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8265, 30 October 1912, Page 4

LETTERPRESS MACHINISTS

ARBITRATION COURT'S AWARD.

The Arbitration Court has filed Its award in the Dominion letterpress machinists' dispute. The award provides for a 4S-hour week, to be worked as prescribed by special regulations. Reeders and assistants on letterpress machines shall not do any “making ready" (except in assisting the mar chmist) nor alter the adjustment of any machine (except such as is necessary in washing up, or starting or stopping the machine). • Dmployors are not limited as to the number of machines to bo worked by any journeyman. The usual award holidays are given, with the addition ol Show Day in Christchurch city. Machinists engaged in printing newspapers shall have holidays on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. The award operates from November 18ch, 1912.* to October 25th, 1915, in the northern, Wellington, Canterbury, Otago, nnri Southland industrial districts. X*i a memorandum attixod to tlie award tho court says that the minimum wage for letterpress machinists has been fixed at X 3 5s per week in the four principal cities and in the principal towns of the four industrial districts affected, and at £2 15s per week in other parts of those districts. The minimum wage for lithographic transferrers and machinists has been fixed at X"3 5s per week throughout the four industrial districts. “The workers' association asked to have wages and other conditions fixed for machinists and other workers employed on rotary machines. The association was entitled to make this application, and provisions as to these workers would have been included in the present award if the association had placed before the court sufficient information to enable an award to be made. This, however, was not done, and in consequence the courthas been unable to deal with this branch of the dispute. The association called evidence to prove the wages paid to rotary machinists in some of the larger offices, but- furnished hardly any inlormation as to the hours or wages of brake hands and assistants. It was proved that one assistant was being paid XI 5s per week, while under the scale of wages proposed by the association he would be entitled to receive X 3 10s per week. This rather suggests that the scale proposed by the association cannot be taken as a fair guide in the matter, and as the employers did not assist by making any by offering any information as to existing, conditions the court is unable to deal with the subject. Where the court is asked for the first time to regulate wages and conditions in with any particular branch of industry it is necessary for the applicant to put before the court fully

and fairly the existing conditions In that particular branch. This has not been done In the present case.”