PAINTERS’ DISPUTE

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11685, 24 November 1923, Page 2

PAINTERS’ DISPUTE

CONCILIATION COUNCIL HOURS OF WORK, WAGES, AND apprentdobs. QUESTIONS FOR ARBITRATION. The hoaxing by the Dominion Conciliation Council of the application of the New Zealand Painters I ederation for a Dominion award was concluded before the Dominion Conciliation Council ait Parliament Buildings y<wterday, Mr W. Newton (Conciliation Commission), presiding. HOURS AND WAGES. Hie wages dain® and counter-claims were referred to the Arbitration Court. Agreement bad been armed at the previous day on a 44-hour week, working half the day on Saturday; andyesterday it was agreed that overtime should he paid at the,rate of time ana a half for the first four hours and double time thereafter. Tbe usual holidays were agreed to, with tae additaon of the painters’ annual picrnc dav. to be held on a Saturday. To meet local conditions in distnota where certain holidays are not generally observed, provision waa made for substituting another day. The employers agreed to the clause requmng the payment of wages weekly, within 15 minutes of ceasing work on the Friday in each week. APPRENTICES. Subject to and pending the Arbitration Court’s revision of the conditions relating to apprentices in accordance with the provisions of the Apprentices Act 195*3, it was agreed that the clauses relating to apprentices at present in force m the various industrial districts shall continue in operation. COUNTRY AND SUBURBAN WORK An agreement was arrived at in regard to country work with an increase of 4s 2d per day for men engaged thereon: hut the suburban work clause waa referred to the court for a decision aa to the centre from which the radius determining what ia suburban work should start The employees wanted a fixed centre, say, the post-offioe or some other agreed centre in each town, whereas the employers wanted each employer’s place of business to be the centre.

OTHER OLAUSES. The usnar under-rate workei s’ clause was agreed to; but the preference clauee was refereed to toe court, aa also waa Jihe piece-work clause asked for by the employers. A resolution was passed strongly recommending toe various painters’ organisations, both of employers and of employees, to call meetings in toe different districts for the purpose of setting up cummittees under the Apprentices Act.