ARBITRATION COURT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18075, 25 October 1920, Page 7

ARBITRATION COURT

Tho Dunedin sittings of tiho Arbitration Court wcro resumed on Friday morning, Mr Justice Stringer presiding. COMPLETE AG 11EEMENTS. Otago and Southland Motor Mechanics. — Mr S. J. KMon, lor the union,, said that a compk-te recommendation had been made by tho Conciliation Council, and the parties asked that it be rat.ficd.—Tho court agreed to embody tho rooommendation in'an award. Otago and Southland Cycle Mcchanice. — Mi Elston, appearing for the union, said that a complete agreement was arrived at on the 13th inst., and ho asked that the agreement bo embodied in an award.—His Honor askod when it camo into force. —Mr A. S. Cookfion: It oarno into operation on the 15th inst.— The court assented. Otago and Southland! Trawlers.—Mr Cookson, for the employers, said that a oomploto settlement had been come to. —The court ordered it to be made into an award. Oamaru Private Hotel Employees.—Mt D. A. K. M'Ewan said that a complete agreement had been como to. —Award made. DUNEDIN HOTEL WORKERS. In tho Dunedin hotel workers' dispute Mr D. A. R. M'Ewan appeared for the union an<l Mr A. S. Cookoon for ihe l.oensees. •Tho Statement filed included the following claims:—Forty-eight hours work per weekA full day s holiday every seven days. Special holidays, at time and a-half, on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day; and the Sovereign's birthday. Minimum wages: Kitchen handa, where four or pore are employed—£6 chef, £3 10s second, '£2 10s third; where three hands aro employed— £4 10s chef, £3 second, £2 6s all other workers; when two hands are employed—£3 chef, £2 10s second; where ono hand is employed—£3. Dining room hands, whole two or more waiters are employed—head waiter £3, otherß £2 6s 6d, head waitress £2 10s, housema.d-waitress £1 17s 6d, others £1 17s 6d. Uousciru ds £1 17a 6d, pautryman £3, pantrymaids £2, n ght ixitiers £2 10s, day porters £2 ss, general hands £2 55,.. laundresses £1 17s 6ct, linen ma.ds £1 17s 6d', barmen and baruia.as £4 10s, burniiinpor.er £3, male clerks or office attendants £1 10s, female clerks or offioe attendants £3 10s. Mr M'Ewan, advocating tho union claims, said that the hours now worked by hotel employees were in excess of those worked by any o her, workers. Men were practically on duty or standing by for 90 hours a week, and females four hours less. Hia Honor observed that the new Shops and Offices Act might regulate tho hours oi hotel workers. Mi M'Ewan said that was very doubtful. As to wages, bands could not now be got for the money offered. The increased cost of living was felt by these workers. Every article that the girls wore was doubled ;n price. Night porters- were mostly married men, and on them was the responsibility for the safety of aU the occupants of an hotel. Barmen and barmaids also - had constant responsibility, in having to discern when a cus.omcr had h«d enough liquor, and, considering the services rendered,, the rate of the old award! was nothing less than an insult. There were 73 barmen in Duuedm, 56 of thom married, and £2 10s per week was not enough for thrrn to kee>p homes on. As to the'argument that the cost of living bore hard on the licensees, as a fact the cost was | passed on, nearly every hotel having increased its tariff, some by as much as 100 per cent.

The witnesses called by Mr M'Ewan were John Coitam, A. G-» 1"i iimiioll, a«nd John Boucher. Mr Oookson said, in the oours© of his address, that the licensees had no difficulty in gett.ng hands at the present rates. These hands were not always up to ihe standard of efficiency that the employers would like, but that was &o in nearly all occupations. The difficulty was in getting workers through the union. Th-:-v could be got outside th© union. The hotel tariffs were not all raised. He knew of one that charged 6s per day in 1914 and now charged Bs. His Honor: I know from personal experience that Eome have gone up 100 per cent. Mr Cookson replied that all had not madie ouch increases. Moreover, there was no suggestion to further increase the price of drinks. As to the hours, if they were to be 48 a week, with a margin of 10 hours, the_staff in the larger hotels would have to be duplicated. It wa6 necessary to retain the margin of 14 hours, and in that arrangement the workers were safeguarded bv the in not being brought back to work till after 10 hours. Persons whs chose ihie occupation wont into it with their eyes open as to the unavoidableness of work at awkward hours. As to wages, a d ffcrenco between males and females must bo maintained. What the employers said! about wages was that a fair rate was fixed yby the old award, and that the workers were now entitled to nothing further than the increase in the cost of livin" already granted by the court—namely, 12a per week for males and 9s for females If required, he could call evidence to show that the employers had not kept to the minimum wage, and that the workers were not called work , }° ths f" 11 number of hours that they couldl 1»; called on to work under th« Shops and Offices Act. His Honor said there was no need to call 6ucli evidence. Mr M'Bwan had replied, his Honor sa.d that the court would consider the whole matter. AWARDS AND JUDGMENTS. The court on Saturday filed ah award in the timber yards and' sawmill workers' dispute, m accordance with tho tonus of the agreement com* to in tho Conciliation CounIn the Dunedin wax vesta employees' dispute, in which a partial agreement was arrived at, the oourt haa fixed the wages as follow:-Piecework rates: Payors (plain) P® l tra y; body hands, Is 3d per Wei; royal box makers (mners), 10d per gross, roj.il box makers (outers), 10d per gross, royal box packers, Is per tray. Weekly wages for girls: First six months, £1 per S u m °^ tLs 'i 1 68 ! year, f 1 12 ?\ thereafter, £2. The rates of wages wLIf 1 \% r n mCT by , a boMS ° f 3s per week Adult males employed in or about the factory, £'i 16s per week. In no case where an employee is, prior to this award coming into force, being paid a higher wage than herein provided shall such wage be reduced. The award will come into force on November 8 next, and continue in force tor tv»o years. i o^ 4 ' 10 °' a £° and Southland eng.neers award the court has given the following judgment:-"The award, m respect of which an amendment by way of an additional bonus is soug-ht was made on Julv 2, 1920, in conformity with the pronouncement fnrtle hi? sufficient ground for any fi f US and application must therefore bo dismissed. ,f Southland stage emftaSf- -a? in its i^gment states — All, or nearly all, of the employees covered, by this award are engaged in other industries, and, quite commendably,' augment their earnings by working for a few hours in the evenings m various capacities. In their ordinary vocations they receive a cost ms '. * nd the i' cannot therefore e *° get an additional bonus m respect of their subsidiary employment. No sufficient grounds have been iho™ to diamMsca"' a PP llcatlon ., which is therefore „„^ o( !. hO TT a?plica f tion of . th<> Eunedin Journalists Union for an interpretation of a clause m ita award the oourt set out the question put to it as follows:—"The Ota2o i™ d Witness Company, Ltd., has nominated two sub-editors I?,™ M 8 a , ana one of them less tlian the salary fixed for senior reporters. The question is: Does the fact of tho 00mn°,Tmtmfiua Bul><:ditor as its agent entitle it to pay,those so nominated less than the award rate of salary?" The answer is: liie two sub-editors nominated bv the propnetors as their agente are expressly exeluded from the operation of tho award, and are therefore not affected in their relations with their employers by any terms of tho award, whether as to salary or otherwise. Ihe language of tho award is too plain to admit of argument."