BOOT TRADE WORKERS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10896, 10 May 1921, Page 7

BOOT TRADE WORKERS

r A DOMINION AWARD i 1 WAGES AND CONDITIONS IN < NEW ZEALAND. ARBITRATION COURT’S FINDING. ■ (Special to “Times.”) AUCKLAND, May 8. ) The Arbitration Court has filed its i award in the matter of tho New Zea- . land Federated Boot Trades Union v. the New Zealand Hoot Manufacturers’ • Association for the northern, Taranaki, ■ Wellington, Canterbury, and Southland > industrial districts. ' Tho award provides for preference to unionists; work at home (under permit) by physically unfit workmen who can- ' not attend factory; a 44-hour week of , days; a minimum wage of Is 9jd per hour, with bonus of 3jd per hour , until the court shall order otherwise; overtime at the rate of time and a half for the first three hours, with j double rates thereafter; puiblio holi- I days and time lost at the direction j of the employer to be deducted from j the 44-hours and not from overtime; j holiday work to be paid for at double | rates, * 1 Apprentices are to be taught one or | another departments of the trade and | to be paid wages, the number of ap- | prentices to be not more than one to I every three journeymen. Apprentices’ | Wages are to be: First six months, los | per week ; second six months, 17s 6d per | week ; third six- months, 20s per week; | fourth six months £1 2s 6d per week; I fifth six months, £1 5s per week; sixth 1 Six months, £1 7s 6d per week; seventh | six months, £1 10s per week; eighth | six months, £1 12s 6d per week; ninth ij sx months, £1 15s pea- week; tenth P sax months, £2 per week. | BOARD OF CONTROL. * | It is provided that a Board of Con- g trol shall be appointed, consisting of p four members of tne Manufacturers* As- j| sociatiou and four members of the jg union, to secure to each member of the fj union as reauired adenuate. ATrinlo u- B

wgwu as acquired ouequat-e employ- H ; ment as far as possible; and generally | r to further the interests of the boot in- : dustry; to secure the largest possible - measure of joint, action by the em- ' ployers and workers for the develop- ! . ment of the industry and the improve- j ■ ment of conditions of all engaged in the industry, and to consider all disputes } that may arise. To collect statistics t and information on matters appear- I taining to the industry, including inquiries into special problems of the | industry and the study of the organ- 8 isation and methods of the industry in | this and other countries. The officers’ I of the board are to consist of a chair- H man, vice-chairman, and secretary. Eg who shall be appointed for a period or cl twelve months. The ordinary meetings jgl of tho board are to be held not less |g than once a quarter, and the annual 9 meeting in each January. The award 9 comes into operation on May 16th, ra 1921, and is to continue in force until IS May 16th, 1923. B CLASSIFICATION SUGGESTED. g In a memorandum Mi- Justice Frazer 9 Says: “The court has had the greatest S difficulty in arriving at the minim ur* B rate of wages fixed by this award. It 1 is more convinced than ever of the S necessity for a scheme of classification. B It is a most difficult task to arrive at |j the basic wage for a trade that com- i prises not only a number of highly- | Skilled tradesmen, but also a large g number of workers performing opera- 9 tions which are in Varying degrees n semi-skilled.. Where insufficient ma- S terial on which to construct classifi- B cation has been presented to the court, 9 the court’s duty is to fix a basic wage R for the worker’ with the minimum de- Bjj gree of skill. The result in such cases 9 is that the, classification of the more |jj highly skilled worker is necessarily left H to be settled by individual employers B and a lack of reasonable uniformity on- H sues. The court has added a sub-clause B to clause 9, reserving to itself the right 9 to review the question of wages should 9 the parties agree to a classification of 9 the industry.' The other matters in dig- Sr pute were of a minor character. These jj| the court have settled. A readjustment n between basic wages and bonuses has, H' also been made.” 9 FEMALE SECTION. 9 In the female section, the award B deals with all females who have been H employed at the trade for five years B and upwards, to be classed as journey- 9 women. 9 A 44-hour week of five and a half 9 days is provided, with a minimum wage 9 of £2 5s per week, computed by the hour. For hot wax thread machinists, the minimum wage is fixed at £2 12s 6d a week; if not worked' continuously for that period i to be paid per hour at the same rate. In addition to the minimum wage, there shall be paid a bonus of 6s 6d per week. Overtime on the same basis as the award for males. Assistants shall include females who have not been five years at the trade. The minimum commencing wage for assistants is fixed A at 15s per week for t.lia. ■fir i si+. ttaow riciTHr Vixr opTnial lmw/L

the first year, rising by annual mere*ments <ff 5s to £1 Iss for the fifth year. BT Ten per cent, is to bo added to the R wages of assistants employed on hot wax thread machines. In his memorandum Mr Justice Fraser says:’“The principal matter in dispute was that of wages for journeywomen. The court has settled these on the basis of the wages fixed for journeywomen in other trades.”