THE BOOT TRADE DISPUTE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10625, 21 March 1896, Page 6

THE BOOT TRADE DISPUTE.

The following ]ett*.r has been forwarded by the Boot Manufacturers' Association to thoBoot Trades Ooatcil :— Hr H. Milligak," Secretary Hoot Trade Council, Christchurch. Dear Sir,—We exceedingly regret that all our endeavours to arrive at soiou mutually satisfactory arrangement re terms of labour and wages should have affaiu proved futil;;. Our voluminous correspondence, embracing suggestions, counter-suggestion?,.refusals, and withdraws^, leaves us at this date practically as far! advanced as when the adjourned conference of January 7, IS9B, passed the resolution placing both sides in a free and independent position. We therefore revert now to thait position, having failed to alter it. We would, ia courtesy however to your position, inform you that on and aftor March 30, 1898, each member of our associa- _ tion will work under the rules and conditions of abour, a* per enclosed statement, which will be duly postei in the factories on the 20th inat., thug'civin?. all parties ample intimation of our intention. . t In regard, to the matter of wages, ify' is our opinion that this is a question that is always best .. approached by both capital and labour mutually agreeing to. appoint, say, six duly authorised delegates i empowered to frame a statement under which both would mutually and satisfactorily work. If at any time it be your wish to open the question thus we are prepared to meet you in all fairness of spirit.—l remain, Ac, Alfbko H. Bndger, Secretary for the New Zealand Boot Manufacturers' Association. THE NEW REGULATIONS. The following general rules and conditions of labour to be observed in the factories of all members of the New Zealand Boot Manufacturers' Association on and after Monday, March 30, were yesterday posted in all the factories :— Memo.—For the proper control of the factories, tnd to ensure a uniform rate of wages and conditions of labour to the workmen, the principle of a minimum wage to skilled workmen and a fixed rate of wages for piece-work is hereby acknowledged by the New Zealand Boot Manufacturers' Association, and all members of the association will observe the rales and regulations as set forth herein, and pay the minimum or piece-work wage ' for skilled labour as may be, from time to time, agreed upon or awarded by the Court of Arbitration. ' General Rules. L (a) It is the individual right of the employer to decide who he shall employ or dismiss, (u) It is the individual right of the workman to accept or refuse work-from anyemployer. 11. — Jlmployers or employees, either individually or through any organisation, shall not discriminate for or against any person because he is or is not a member of any organisation, neither shall there be any distinction between organised or Don-organised labour; both shall work under the same conditions and receive equal pay for equal work. llL—Theso'rules and conditions shall apply to the skilled labour departments only, which are clicking department, benching department, and finishing department. IV.—(a) Every employer is entitled to the fullest control over the management of his factory, aed to make such regulations as he deems necessary for time-keeping and good order, (b) To pay either the recognised piece-work rate or weekly wages, (c) There shall be no restriction IB the employment or wages of hands engaged by the week when the wages are satisfactory to the employer and employed, subject to the recognised minimum in the skilled labour departments, and any person shall be at liberty to arrange with his employer to work on the weekly-wage system. \ (d) To introduce machinery at any time without i \ notice, and to divide or subdivide the labour at &.\ miv he necessary. J

V.—(a) Each manufacturer is to regulate his or their working hours, but in no case shall a day's work exceed nine hours, Rubject to 48 hours being considered a full week, (u) All hours worked in excess of 48 shall be classed as overtime, and be subject to further payment as follows :— (c) Weekly wages men over 4S houre per week, time and aquartcr. (u) Piece-workers over 43 hours per week, 3d per hour. Vl.—The minimum weekly wage shall be 40s, or any other amount that may from time to time be agreed upon for 48 hours' work in the skilledlabour departments. Miort time woiked to be deducted at tbe same rate as paid. VIL— Vor all purposes of the statement in general rate-list, the classification of uppers shall be decided by the material in the vamp or golosh, but this shall not apply to any special rates that may be fixed. Vlll.—Employers will find all grindery, workshops, light, Ac, and serve out all colours and materials required by them to be used. Adjustment ok Wagks. For the equitable adjustment of wages and matters rela.tina thereto, the fixing of wajes for piece-wari; or the amount of minimum wage for weekly hands in the skilled-labour departments shall be by means of conciliation boards, or in ] such other way as may be provided for. , ! Constitution op General. Board. j (a) There shall be a General Board of Conciliation, held in Christchurch in September in each j year, consisting of six members of the N.Z. Boot Manufacturers' Association and six employees workinz for members of the association, who must hear testimony, examine witnesses, and decide on the merits of the ca3e. Said members shall be elected in October in each year, and shall serve for 12 months and bu eligible for re-election. Should any manufacturer, elected a member of General Board, cease to be a member of the N.Z. Boot Manufacturers' Association, or a workman leavea the employ of an associated manufacturer during their term of offiw, it shall be deemed a disqualification, and the vacancies so caused shall be tilled within 2S days. Three members Bhall fcrm a quorum. A majority of votes shall be final in all cases, but the vote of any absent member may bo used by the side lie represents. (is) The board shall elect a chairman outside of its members, who shall not have either a deliberative or casting vote. . (c) Iu case of a tie vote, the dispnted question s!ia<l be submitted to the Court of Arbitration i'und^r the Conciliation and Arbitration Act, but i -this shall not prevent the matter being referred to private arbitration if both sides mutually agree to this course, and any decision arrived at by the private arbitrators shall be final and binding on all parties.' (d) Decisions of the board shall be binding upon all members of the New Zealand Boot Manufacturers' Association, and all employees working for said manufactorers. (E) All expenses in connection with arbitration shall bs borne by the losing party. The proportion of expenses to be eqnal on both sides, but no expenses will be allowed to 'witnesses. " (p) The board may be summoned by request of half its members oa payment of a deposit of £10. Power of-General Board. (a) To deal with all questions affecting the wagsa of workman in the skilled labour departments, (b) To alter the scale of pay for pieceworkers, (c) To alter tbe amount of the minimum wage, (p) To alter the piece-work system from time to time, as the development of the trade may demand. (E) To fix new prices for piecework. (PJ .To.deal with t.be proportion of apprentices t6 journeymen, (g) To make an agreement for a period not exceeding three years. Constitution of Private Arbitration Board. Within 2S 'days after data of meeting of each alternate General Board, one arbitrator shall be elected by the manufacturers and one arbitrator by the workmen. Each sid« shall submit to tha other the'name of their arbitrator, addressed to the persons authorised by General Board to receive such uoticc The two arbitrators shall be requested to elect an umpire, and ths three persons shall then constitute the Private Arbitration Board, and their decision on any questions referred to them for settlement shall be legal and binding upon all parties and have the same effect as an award under the Conciliation and Arbitration Act. ' The board shall hold office for two years. Consiitution op Local Boards. (a) A Local Board of Conciliation shall be established in Wellington, Chiistchurch, and Duntdiii, or in any other place that may bo hereafter . mutually agreed upon, consisting of three members of the New Z-a----land Boot Manufacturers' Association or their nominees and three eoiploynes working for members of the association. Pour to form a quorum.' The vote of any alwent member may be used by the side he represents. (b) The said members shall serve for aot less than six months, unless disqualified from acting as a member of the board. (c) The board shall meet when required, but not oftener than once each, month. I (d) Copies of all correspondence shall be kept by ' the secretary, and .shall be produced at each board meeting.

(E) Should a dispute arise that requires an immediate settlement and upon which the local board to which it was referred to cannot agree, each Ride shall submit their views in writing to tha other local boards, whose decision by a majority shall be binding until the next General Board meeting, when the Decision can be confirmed, amended, or rescinded.

(F) All complaints must be made in writing and sent in at least three days prior to the meeting of the Local Board, when these rctary shall immediately advise members of the business to be transacted. • . ■

' (g) In all disputes one representative of the employers and one representative of the employees will be allowed to state the case under discussion. provided that such representative is connected with the trade and is party to this agreement. Witnesses may be called, but all must retire while the board decide the case.

(h) Should a new class or method of' work ba introduced by any manufacturer for which no provision has been made for piece-work, and for which piece-work prices are required by. the manufacturer, a sample shall be submitted to the Local Board of Conciliation for the purpose of having a price fixed, and should the price so fixed be considered satisfactory by a majority of the members of the board, it shall be added to the Statement of Prices, and the Local Board shall have power to fix the price, pending its continuation or alteration by the General Board. (I) All General Board decisions or arbitration awards shall be printed and posted in each associated factory within 21 days from date of meeting or award. (j) All Local Board decisions shall be forwarded to all other Local Boards within 48 hours after meeting. Powers op Local Boards. To deal with any breach of the-statement properly reported by either side to have been made. Toi arrange all matters relating to wages not already provided for by the General Board. (a) fending the discussion and decision of any difference or dispute between the parties hereto or aiiy member of any organisation, there shall be no lock-out, strike, stoppage, or cessation of work by either employer or employed. (B) Work shall be continued at the rates and conditions ruling at the time the dispute occurred, until the ruling of the arbitrators has been received. ' . ■ • ■ ' The general wages of the statement can only be altered at the annual meeting of tha general ; board, and either side wishing to effect an alteration must give notice, in writing, not later than July 15, setting forth as fully as possible the details of tha proposed alteration. Conditions op'Labour. Skilled Labour Departments.—Clicking; benofcing (means rivet, M.-sewn, or pegged work); finishing. Minimum Weekly Wage.-Clickers ; benchers; finishers: Forty shillings. Any persons working in aDy of the departments governed by the minimum wage who are not cap- | able of commanding the wage, may refer his case to the Local Board, who shall have power to give a permit to such parson to work at a wage that his employer may be willing to pay, and which I will sal.3?y the workman. . ] Employment of Apprentices. Clause I.—No arrangements in existence on the date of introduction of this statement shall be interfered with. Clause ll.—All apprentices shall serve for a term of five (5) years, but it shall be optional on the part of the employer whether he indentures them or not. Clause lll—Each apprentice may have three months' trial at any branch of the trade previous to being indentured, but a second trial will not be allowed m the eama branch.

Clause IV.—The proportion of apprentices to journeymen in the several branches of the trade as follows :—Clicking department: One apprentice to every three men or fraction of three.' (In addition to the number of boys allowed as apprentices in this department, extra boys may be employed in cutting any class of fittings (only) in proportion of one to every five men or fraction of five. If any such boy is subsequently apprenticed he shall serve the full term of five years.) Benching department: One apprentice to four men or fraction of four. 'Finishing department: One apprentice to every four men or fraction of four. ■ • .

Clause V.—For the purpose of determining the proportion of apprentices to journeymen, the calculation shall be based on two-thirds' full time employment for the average of the latter during six months previous.

Clause Vl.—Employers' sona shall not be reEtricted by any rules or regulations made under this statement. j . •

Clause Vll.—Foremen and instructors, being the direct representatives of employers, are expected not to join any organisation of workmen.

. Clause VIII.—AII soles for riveted work shall be pricked before being given out to the benchmen.

Clause IX.—The ground-work for all bottoms made by benchmen shall consist of one colour on!y.

Clause X.—The ground-work of all finishing shall consist of one colour only. Finishers shall file all bottoms on plain work. Beochmen shall file tips and toe-plates clean on all nailed work, except an men's, youths', and boys' lowest rate, and women's, maids', and children's fifthrate. These two classes' tips and toe-plate nails are to be filed level. Tips and toe-plates on all unnailed work to be filed clean by the finisher, except on men's, youths', and boys' lowest-rate, and women's, maids', acd children's fifth-rate. These two classes' tips and toe-plate nails, are to be filed level. Tip fillings on plaiu work are to be dressed same aa the bottoms. Standard screwed work to be paid nt the same rate as riveted, unless screwed in the channel; when screwed in the channel to be paid at same rate as machine-work sewn.

VIEWS OF THE BOOTMAKERS. In connection with the above regulations one of our repre»tntalivtts yesfcsnUy iaterviewed two officers of the Bootmaker*' Union with the object of ascert&iniug their views concerning the regulations. They stated that the new statement came »s a great surprise to the employees, who. were negotiating with the Manufacturers' Association, through their Federated Council, to bring the matter in dispute into the Arbitration Court. Mr Frostick, president of the Manufacturers' Association, also g»vo the secretary of the Federated Council to understand that the association were going to work nnder the present statement until the court had settled the question, and that the council would receive a reply to their letter in three or j fuur days from Friday or Saturday Ust. The I reply sent, however, was the letter published at the head of the new regulations. As the dispute was at preseut uuder the control of the Federated Council the employees hava not jconsidered the statement; but there were » number of objections to it, from 3n employee's point of view, that could be readily seen by glancing through it. The principle of "freedom of contract" which was contained in the statement submitted to the Christchurch conference was still embodied in the new statement ; and that was one of the main objections to it. The employees also objected to clause A in the constitution of local boards. They thought that when they Bsnt delegates to the board they should have, the right to select them from any shop ao long us tfeey were members of the union. The reason the employees objected was that tbe employers could pick out any prominent unionist working in their associated shops and discbarge him, and thereby deprive the union of his services. They alleged that that had already been douo both here and in Christchurch. The employees also had a • strong objection to the clauso nnder the " conditions of labour," referring to workman "not capable of commanding the minimum wage," as it would give the employers the power to further reduce the minimum wage. | Under the preseut; conditions the local board , has power to determine if a man was a capable j workman and what wages he should receive; i but that is not the case in the new statement. | Another matter employers ware bound to object j to was that one of the departments was struck i out of the new statement—that was the rough- j stuff cutters. The employers did not consider j skilled labour required iu that department. An important ornissroa in the statement, too, i was the non-inclusion of the machinery depart- : ment as a skilled labour department, and con- j eequently tha omission of the minimum wage to | apply to the workmen iu that department, j One very important objection to the proposal of file Manufacturers' Association was that whilst they were willing to confer on the question of I wages they were not agreeable to confer on the | conditions of labour, with regard to which there j was a deadlock at both the previous conferences. I It was only reasonable that the whole question ! should be submitted to a eonferencss, as in the event of no conference taking place the matter must be fought oat before the Conciliation Board or the Court of Arbitration. Another ] objection to the statement was that clause 4, ! subsection D, involved what was known as the "team system," which, in tha opinion of the workmen, would mean that the men working in teams would get all the straightforward work, j Bnd the piece-workers would have the odd I work. Tfcere was one great difference between I the new statement and the statement submitted at the adjourned conference in Christchurch, inasmuch as in the new statement what was termed the commercial clause hns been struck j out. I

THE CONCILIATION BOARD. The first meetiug of the Conciliation Board I of Otago and Southland was held yesterday afternoon at the Supreme Court Chambers Boom, and attended by Mr J. A. Millar, M.H.H., Mr E. Ferguson (representing the workers' unions), Mr 6. L. Site, and Mr G. P. j Farquhar (representing the employers). j Mr Millar was voted to the chair temporarily. ' Some discussion took place with regard to the great difficulty of securing a chairman who would be competent to fill the position, and it was stated that a number of gentlemen who . were considered suitable had been spokeu to in ; regard to the chairmanship, and two had con- ! f euted to act. Mr Farquhar erentually moved that Mr W. A. Sim be appointed to the position. The motion waa seconded by Mr Ferguson, | and unanimously agreed to. j

The monthly meeting of the Trades and Labour Council was held last evening, Mr 8. C. Brown, president, being in the chair. Among the correspondence dealt; with was » letter from the Federated Seamen's Union soliciting the support of the council in the direction of assist- i log them, by any meaus they might deem expedient, to abolish these private benefit societies instituted by employers whero employment was conditional uoly on accepting membership iu societies of this nature. As the matter had been referred to the Trades and Labour Conference by Iho Welliogtoiv Council, it was decided to instruct the delegates to support any proposal submitted to give effect to the request of the Seamen's Union. It was resolved to gend three delegates to the conference to be opened at Invercargill on Eastar Saturday, and Messrs S. C. Brown, A. Judge, and K. C. Wilson were elected. A letter from the Chriitchurch Progressive Liberal Association, concerning a united platform for the colony, was ' held over for consideration at the next meeting. !• A letter waa recaived from the.Railway department intimating that on Labour Day the same facilities would be given in the matter of excursion rates as was done with other societies. The letter was referred to the Labour Day Com- ; mittce. j

CANTERBURY TEAM. SCO GOO yds. yds. Tl. 1 Lavery... . .... 29 24— 53 i Lester 30 2!) — fin Jackson 31 27 — 5S . Trelevan 30 24 - 54 ' Anderson „ ... 29 21 — 50 • Robertson 23 31 — 54 RuniiersoD 28 ■ 31 — 59 Ritchie 31 31 — C2 ManBOn ... 33 25 — (il Robinson 35 33 — 63 Grant, 32 27 — 59 j Meddings 30 59 — 5!) Simpsen 33 24 — 57 Kobilliatft 34 30 — 64 Fox 34 2:S — 57 Manning ... 34 30 — 64 Wakelin ... . ... 31 30 — Cl Sl'Kay ... 33 29 — 82 M'l'arlane 32 30 — 62 Banks ... 32 30 — 62 Totals ... 624 501 -1185 Wellington Team ... 6!4 616 —ll«0 OtagoTeam... ... 616 536-1112 Taranaki. Napier, Wanganui combined 599 515 -1114