CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15824, 24 July 1913, Page 2

CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

SITTING AT LAWRENCE

"HYDRAULIC MINERS' DISPUTE,

A sitting of tlio Conciliation Court \ya6 held at Lawrence .yesterday to iiesir the oispme between the Utago and houtluand Gold Minora' Union ol Workers and the following hydr-iuilic 6luic:ng companies:-— Sailors' Gully Company, \v<iiialnina Gully Company, llavcJock Sluicing Company, and Thomson and Party's Sluicing Company. Mr J. R. Triggs (Conciliation Commissioner) presided, and the following assessors were present: For the union, Messrs iilcnry King (Waitahuna) and John H. Davidson (Alexandra South), and tor fcbe employers, Messrs W. K. Smyth and James Kclleher (Lawrence) and Charles Thomson (Waitahuna). . , In their statement of claim the men asked for an eight-hour shift, a minimum wage of 9s fcr uluicers and raeemen, with double rates for Sundays and holidays, preference to unionists, and the observance of certain holidays. The employers in their counter claim proposed a wage of 9s per 6hift for liozzlomen amd 8s for paddockmen and tav men, while they desired the non-obcervance of two of the holidays which the men asked for—Good Friday and 1 Caster Monday. Tlio first point on which there was any discussion was the matter of holidaj'6. Mr Smyth said that the mining industry was totally different from any other industry- In other industries an increase in the rate of wages could be paesed on to the public—the consumers—whereas m mining that could not be done. A man might spend a. lot of money bringing water .in. but on a holiday it simply ran to waste if the claim were not working. The Commissioner pointed out that if tlio men "worked on trio ' holidays they got double time; if they did not work nothing. Mr Davidson said the union had asked for fewer holidays than most unions, and had made its proposals as moderate as possible.

Mr Kelleher said there were many workers with families who would mueh prefer to work on holidays. ( It was agreed to accept the employers clause concerning the holidays. Regarding the wages clause, Mr Davideon 6aid that the two claueos—that sub* mitted by 'the union and that of the employers—were a good bit mixed, but the pith of the matter was the minimum wage. Mr Kelleher said that they could hardly include racenien in the scope of the award. Mr Smyth supported this contention, pointing out that on some days a raceman might not have more than three 01* four hours work, and on other days he nrght have 10 hours. Their duties were so different from those of the other sluicing hands that they could not properly be classed together. Mr Davidson end the men could not possibly accept less than 9s as the minimum wage. He would! be sorry to have to go to the court, but they oould not give way on t'hit clause. They would do their best, however, to meet the employers on the other clauses. If an employer thought that a nozzleman was worth more than the other men he could give him more, but the minimum wage for all should certa/nly not be lees than 9s. It was a question of brca.d and butter, and the man on the tail had a family to keep uist the same as the man at the nozzle. If there was anyone, such for instance as an old man, whom they thougnt was not worth the minimum wage, then they could firing the under-rate workers' clause into operation. The Commissioner said the union had put the matter very fairly. Mr Kelleher said that ilv.it would be all right if a company were getting gold. It would bo no hard! hip for it to pay the wage then, but on tho other hand it mignt be the meaiw of forcing companies :nto liquidation. At this stage some discussion took place in regard to the term oi the award, the men asking for a term of two years and the employers for a term of three years. Mr Davidson: If you make the wage 10s a shift we will concede you three ycais! If tho union liked, lie said, they could ask the court to terminate the award when the dredgemen's award terminated—that was in 18 months' time. , Mr King said that lje had explicit' instructions from his union to hold out for a twoyears' agreement. Mr Kelleher: ] thought we were supposed to come here with an r pen mind instead of with hard and fast, instructions. Mr King: T 'am-here to rcpresc.it the views of the men. I have talked the matter over 'with, the.u, and they contend that, two years is quite lßng enough. At this juncture Mr Jriggs conferred with tho employers for a. few moment?, an l than announced that they were prepared ( to ! grant the minimum wage of_ 9s and give way to tho union's demand for a term of two years' provided the men agreed with the other clauses in their counter-proposals. The men agreed to this course, and ono or two minor alterations having been effected the final agreement was arrived at and the sitting terminated. Following are the chief clauses of the agreement: — Hours of Work.—Ei-rht hours shall be a recogniscd ehitt. 'I he shitis shall go round. Holidays and Sunday Work.—The following days shall be reserved as holidays:New 'Year's Day, January '£, Clirisvmas Day, and Boxing Day. Should any of these days fall on a Sunday then the day following shall be observed as the holiday.

Kate of Wages.—The minimum wage for sluiccrs shall be 9s per shift. All work done on Christmas Day and New Year's Day and on Sundays shall bo paid for at double rates, and all'work done on other holidays and all overtime worked shall be paid for at time and a-quartcr. Wages shall be paid monthly, in cash or by cheque. Repairing Breakage:-.—When 6luicers are required to repair breaks in a water-race the necessary time occupied in going to and from the breaks shall he paid lor, but only once in each breakage should a camp be available, ■ '

The award, which shall not apply to racemen, is to remain in force for a period of two years.

Tho usual preference and under-rato workers' clauses are included.