THE JEWELLERY TRADE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10965, 29 July 1921, Page 7

THE JEWELLERY TRADE

NEW CONDITIONS AGREED DISPUTE RESULTS IN COMPLETE SETTLEMENT. BEFORE CONCILIATION COUNCIL. \ A complete agreement was reached before a Conciliation Council yesterday in the dispute between the Wellington Manufacturing Jewellers’ and Watch and Clock-makers’ and Kindred Trades Union and their employers. The union’s claims were first discussed at a sitting some weeks ago, but ;Tn adjournmenut was effected to enable the parties to secure further information as to conditions ruling in other centres. The council consisted of Messrs T. S. Abbott, J. B. Fleck, and F. Cornwall (assessors for the union) and Messrs L. R. Partridge, W. C. Young, and N. J. Gooder (assessors fop' the employers). The Conciliation Commissioner (Mr W. Newton) presided. HOURS OF WORK. The hours of work are to he 44 per week, apportioned as follows:—Eight hours per day on five days of the week and four hours on the day of the statutory half-holiday; the hours pf working to fall between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on five days and between 8 a.m.. and 1 p.m. on one day of the week. By agreement between the employer and ihe worker, however, the 44 hours may be worked on fire days of the wgek. , RATES OF WAGES. The minimum rates of wages were agreed upon as follow : Journeymen engaged as goldsmiths or silversmiths, or in various specified classes of work, £4 !Os per week ; workers employed solely i n routing machines or on stamping machines (doing other than jewellery or cadge work), £4 per week; in addition to these rates a bonus of Ss per; week to he paid unless and until the court shall otherwise order., FEMALE WORKERS. The female workers’ clause remains as before, the wages being fixed at £1 per week for the first six months, £1 2s 6d pef week for the second six months, £1 5s during the second year, £1 lGs during the third year, £1 17s 6d during the fourth year, and thereafter not less than £2 5s per. week. Nothing in the award is to he dee (lied to apply to electro-plating, die-sink-ing, or the cutting or -engraving of brass plates. ■" OVERTIME RATES. The overtime rate was agreed upon at time and a half for the first three hours and double time thereafter. All work done on Christmas Day, Good Friday, Labour Day, or Sundays is to be paid for at double rates, and ail work done on any of the other holidays at the rate of time and a half. The holidays and terms of engagement clauses remain unchanged. APPRENTICES. Apprentices are to be paid not less than the following rates of wages: First year 15s per week, second year 22s 6d per week, third year 30s per week, fourth year 37s 6d per week, fifth year £2 5s per week, sixth year £3 per week. The proportion of apprentices to journeymen shall not exceed one to every three journeymen or fraction of three. The agreement is to operate within the Wellington industrial district, and is to come into force on August Ist, The parties agreed that the term of award should be two years, hut this clause was left to the court for disposal.