ARBITTRATION COURT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13889, 29 April 1907, Page 4 (Supplement)

ARBITTRATION COURT.

THE SADDLERS' DISPUTE. The following reference has been filed with Mr A.. Stubbs, clesrk of awards, in the dispute between the New Zealand Saddlers' Association of Workers and the Master Saddlers of Otago and Southland: —

Hours of Work.

1. Tho hours of work shall be 48 in each week. On iinturdoy in each week the hours of work shall expire not Inter than 1 p.m., excepting in district where the statutory havf-holiday is on any other day of t.lio weei;, when the. hours of work shall expire not Inter than 1. p.m. on that day. All work worked beyond the time mentioned in this clause or on holidays shall be considered overtime, and shall be paid for at tho rate of time and a-quarter for the first four hours, tiros and 1 a-half after 10 p.m., doublo timo after midnight or any days excopt tho days mentioned 111 clause 9 hereof, on which days, including Sundays, all work shall bo paid for at Uio rate of double time. Any lima lost through the worker's own default shall be rnado up before overtime rates aro paid. Classes of Workers. 2. Only three classes of workei-s shall bii recognised or employed—namely, journeymen (which; expression shall include journeymen and journeywomen), apprentices, and female stitchers. The female stitchois in the bnglnalcing branch to bo also allowed to pasre tho strawbeard for portmanteau and gladstone bags, and do other work in this department. Wages. 0. Every journeyman working at any branch oi tho trade (except as h6reinafter mentioned) shall bo paid not ,les3 than Is par hour, and the masters recognise that better class men be paid from .112 8s to £2 15s per week. No piecework is allowed. All wages are to bo paid weekly. Under-rate Men. . 4. (a) Any worker who considers i himself incapable of earning the minimum wage in clause 3 hereof fixed, may be paid such lower wago as may; be from time to timo fixed on the application of tho employee' after 24 hours' notice to tho union by the chairman of the Conciliation Board or such other person as .the court may from time ,to timo appoint for that purpose, and such, chairman or person so fixing such wage shall have regard to tho worker's capability, liia past earnings, and such other circumstances as-such chairman or other person may think fit to consider after hearing sueh evidence and argument as the union and the. employeo shall ofi'or, and, upon granting such ,a permit, tho_ chairman or othor person shall forward notioe thereof to the. inspector of factories. (b) Whenever occasion arises for so fixing an employee's-' wago, it shall bo fixed for such a period not exceeding six months as such chairman or other person' shall determine, and after the expiration of the said period until 14 days' notice shall have been given jo him by the secretary of the union requiring him to have his wage again fixed in manner prescribed in this olause: Provided that in tlio case of any person whose wage is so fixed' by reason of old age or permanent disability, it may be fixed for suoh longer period l as such chairman or other pereon shall think fit. (c) In casos 25 mites outside of Dllncdui thi oSioe of the chairman may' be exercised', by the stipendiary magistrate who sata there, or such other person aa the cou.it' may from time to time appoints and an appointment to hear tho application may be made ar.d notified by the clerk of the court.' ' ,

(d) It shall, notwithstanding the 1 foregoing,' bo competent for an employee to agree witb the. president or secretary of tho union, upon such wage without having the same so fixed. (c) It shall bo the duty of the union to give noiice to the inspector of factories o£ every agreement rnado with an employee pursuant hereto. •

(() It shall be tHo duly of ■ an employer before employing a. man. c-t suoh lower wage to examino tho permit or agreement by which such wage is fixed. • Apprentices.

B. Any employer taking an apprentice to learn the trade shall be deemed to undertake tho duly which he agrees to perform as a duty onfoiyoabfe under this award, and shall pay such apprentice not less than the undermentioned rates of wages:—For tho first year, ss. per weak; for the 9econd.year, 10s per week; for the .third year, 15s per week; for tho fourth year, £1 per week; for the fifth year, £1, 5s per week. The period of a/pprontieeship shall be five'yeiis, but tbreo months', probation shall bo allowed tho first employer of any apprentioe to' determine his fitness, such three months to " ba inchidetl in tho period of apprenticeship. At tho end of tho period ol apprenticeship tho employer shall give tho apprehtice a certificate to show that, lie had served his apprenticeship. Should the employer at. any timo tafore the termination of tho apprenticeship, wish for any reason to dispense with tho services of his apprentice, lie' £hall give him a certificate for iiie time served and procure him another etuployer carrying oil business within a reasonable distance of tho original employer's place of business, who will continue to teach tho apprentice, to pay him the wage prescribed by this award according to the total length of time he has sorved, and generally, to perform the obligations of the original employer:. Provided that it shall not be obligatory on an employer to find the apprentice another employer if lie shall so misconduct himself as to. entitle the employer to .discharge him, but he shall' give him a certificate of the time actually served. All employer taking an apprentice shall give nolico thereof and of the name of the apprentice to the inspector of factories within one week after the expiration of the period' of probation, and an employer transferring another appreutico to another employer shall similarly, within "one week thereof, give notico of such transfer to the inspector of faolories. An ..employer shall jnot bo deemed to discharge his duty towards •his apprentice it he fails to keep him at work owing to slackness of business, bui such slackness of business may form a proper ground for transferring him to a master willing to undertake tho responsibility of teaching him. When an apprentice is.discharged Ipr liny cause the employer shall send notice of the' discharge and the cause thereof to the inspector of factories. Existing legal arrangements with or relating to apprentices now 'serving any employer may continoe provided that any employer wishing thaiu to continue shall forwatd the names of his present apprentices to the inspoclor of factories within ono month after tho filing of this award, but any approntico now serving under vferbal agreement shall be deemed an apprentice under , this clause. Proportion of Apprentices.

6. The proportion of apprentices and female stitchers to journeymen employed by an employer shall li-ot exceed tho following— viz.: In the saddlery branch, one appiontice and one ifeinnle stitcher to every three journeymen or fraction oi three journeymen; machinery branch) ono male or female apprentice to every three journeymen or fraction of three journeymen or journeywomeu recognised machinists; in tho harness branch, one male or female apprentice to one journeyman, or ono male and .one female apprentice or two ( maio apprentices to three journeymen, and tho same proportion of apprentices shall apply to every additional one or fhrce journeymen employed; in tho eollarraaking branch, one apprentice to ono journeyman or two apprentices to three journeymen, and the Vime propertion of apprentice shall apply to every additional one of three journeymen employed; in tho bridle cutting brajioh one apprentice and two • female stitchers to one journeyman, or one apprentice and three female stitchers to.two journeymen. or one apprentice and four female stitchers to three journeymen, or two apprentices and fivo female stitchers to four journeymen, and one female stitohei to every additional journeyman. Bag and trunk makers aje to have one apprcntico to each journeyman, male or female. Where there is only one apprentice kepi, and he has served four years, an additional apprentice may bo taken on so as to enable the iormar to have a better opportunity of learning his trade. . 7. For the purpose of determining the proportion of apprentices' and female stitchers to journeymen, in taking any new apprentice or female stitcher, tno calculation shall ba based on a two-thirds full time employment of compolent' journeymen employed during the previous three calendar months.

8. That all female stitchers employed bo paid a weekly wage: For the first year, 7s 6d per week; for the second year, 12s Gd per week; for the third year, 17s Gd per week; for the fourth year, 2os per w«ek. Female stitchers in the saddlery Lrimcli .no' debarred from panel making. 9. The following days shall bo recognised as holidays in all branches:— New Year's l)ay, Good Friday, Easter Monday, iii.thoay of Keigning Sovereign, Christmas Day, anil Labour Day. Preference to Unionists. 10. So long as the rules of the union pe.n.it any person of good character and, suit hubvts to become a member on payment of an entrance fee not exceeding 5s upon hs written application without ballot <ji other election, and so to oontiEuc upon contributing aubscrißidvtts (sce«liug 6d x«r. wjek, tlw

employers Mall eippioy members ol tho union in'preference to non-members, provided that there . arc members of tho union equally qualified with 'flon-membars. to perform the particular work," but this shall not compel an employer to dismiss ruiv person now employed by him. li_-.'-So employer shall in the engagement ov • dismissal of his men discriminate against,members of the union or shall in the conduct of his business do anything directly or in-diw-tly tor the purpose of injuring the luiion. 12 Where members of tire union and nou-n-embers are employed together, there shall bo no distinction between thcm ): and both shall work icgether in harmony and receive equal pay for equal work. The following articles are part of the saddlers', legitimate work:—Buggy rugs, valises, seho.ol bags, coat straps, leather coats, hat straps, leather and web braces, military accoutrements, leather motor car tyres, summer hats for horses, saddle bags, horsecovers, gaiters, ivatoh pouches, saddle cloths, riding aprons, waistbelts, all leather Ixijs, baits .aiul pouche-3, horse-cMiing, liorse boots, knife sheaths, nosebags, dog collars, cow covers.

The reference has been referred by tho v.'crkors direct to tho court for settlement. . As it , is not passible under tho act to clk-wh from the court a, colonial award,' a reference similar to be above is king filed in each of tho industrial districts in the colony with a view to securing a uniform award,