LABORERS' DEMANDS.

NZ Truth, Issue 95, 13 April 1907, Page 4

LABORERS' DEMANDS.

ULTIMATUM OF THE WEL-

LINGTOfI UNION.

Unskilled Labor on the Job.

What They Want and Hope to Get,

In. the industrial world there is petebaps no • class of worker more subject to the iron rule of bloated and sweating capital than that defined as the unskilled worker. The ranks of this kind. of hard toiling men are, unfortunately, from causes and circumstances not to be considered just here, daily and daily swelled, and subsequently they are reduced to all sorts of conditions, which the employer of such labor knows too well to what uses those workers can be put. Some time ago a Union was formed m Wellington of these men, and though little has been heard of its doings through the columns of the daily press, it must not be imagined that the Union has been inactive. Rather is it •, to the contrary, though this much may be mentioned, " the laborers themselves, whose interests and' well-being it is , sought to conserve have become rather, apathetic, ,and have , not become 'very assiduous m their attention and attendance at the Union meetings. The ' Union is called the Wellington General Laborers' Industrial Union of Workers, and it has thrown out its. ultimatum m the shape of the following demands, which it is hoped will be embodied m an Arbitration Court Award. At present there is some trouble m the Wairarapa between employers of unskilled labor and laborers, j»nd the publication of the men's * demands will be certainly judicious at such a juncture. The demands are aa follows :— HOURS OF LABOR. The hours of labor shall not ex-: ceed 46 m each week. Work shall not commence before 7.80 a.m,, nor continue ' after 5 p.m. ■.■'■■ In tunnel work the hours shall be eight per shift, from bank to bank, for five shifts 'a week, including haWhour for crib time, and fpurx hours on Saturdays. RATE OF WAGES, Tunnel work :— Tunnel • men, lis per shift •; timber men, lls ; AH other men employed underground, 10s 6d. Quarry Worjk :— Powder men, Is 6d per hourr, hammer and drill men, Is 4t%d ; 'jumper/ men, Is 4|d; quarry men. Is 4£d ; crusher men, Is 4£d ; spawlers, Is 4^d. General Is 4&d j asphalt makers Is 4£d ;'. $opl sbalrpeners, is 4£d'; any working 'on any "face" where a life-rope is required Is 4£d ; concrete workers, Is 3£d ; all other classes of casual labor Is 3d. Permanent hands, where no deductions are made fbr wet weather or holidays, minimum of 9s per day with increase m proportion to the above scale according to the nature of the work. WEJT PLACES. Six tours; to constitute ai shift w/hen working m. wet! places or m foul air. A wetpßaoe to mean where the workman or workmen are standing over the boot-tops m. water, or water is dripping on top oi.them. LIFE-ROPES. Life-ropes shall be used on all workings . where men ( are wo^J«ng over ten feet from the bo£tomr It shall be the duty ,of tbe man m charge to examine life-ropes at all times before allowing them to be used. OVERTIME. All time worked beyond the time mentioned m Clause I. shall be considered ' overtime, and shall be paid for at the rate oi time and a-half for the first fouir hours, and double, time afterwards. Double time shall be paid for all work done on Statutory Holidays and on Sundays. ■ Payment at the ordinary rates will be made to oasual employees . m cases were they are compelled to: lose time through no fault of their own. HOLIDAYS. Statutory holidays shall mean New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Christmas Day, Labor Day, and the Sovereign's Birthday. / PREFERENCE. Preference of employment shall begiven to members of the Wellington General Laborers' Industrial Union of Workers. SUBURBAN WORK. Workmen employed on any work more than one and a-half miles distant from the Town Hall m the City of Wellington or the Post Office of Lower Hutt, Petone, Karori, Miramar, and Johnsonville shall be allowed and paid for the time reasonably occupied m walking to ami from, such work, unless some suitable, mode of conveyance is provided. Provided always that no claim shall be allowable under this clause if the place of residence of the labourer shall be within one (mile and a-half from the place of work, notwithstanding that the latter may be beyond that distance from the Post Office. In every case where the works arc too far from the centre of population, to allow of a suitable lodgin?. being obtained, proper sleeping apartments shall he provided free of charge and not less than 500 cubic feet of space shall be allowed for every employee sleeping therein. TOOLS. All tools shall 'bo supplied by the employer. _^ _^