CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18990, 11 October 1923, Page 13

CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

BOXWORKERS’ DISPUTE. Mr W. H. Hagger (Conciliation Commissioner) presided over a sitting of the Conciliation Council yesterday, when the Otago Boxworkers’ Union applied for a new award. Misses 1. Gibbs, M. O’Connor, Runciman, and E. Wild, with Mr J. Haymes acting as agent, appeared for the union, and Messrs T. G. Brickell. S. Ferguson, C. Otto, and A. S. Cooksou (agent) for the employers. A partial agreement was arrived at. The union’s demands were for increased wages, shorter hours of labour, and an annual holiday of a week on full pay; The w-agea sought by the union were: First six months, 19s 6d per week; second six months, £1 2s; second year, £1 7s; third year, £1 12s • fourth year, £1 17s; fifth year, £2 7s;’ thereafter, £2 12s. The employers’ counter-proposals provided for the following rates of pay:—First six months. 16s 6d; second six months, 19s ; second year, £1 4s; third year, £1 9s; fourth year, £1 14s; thereafter, £2 Os 6d. The employers’ proposals regarding wages were those adopted by the Arbitration Court at Christchurch recently. A 45-hour week was agreed upon, with the following holidays .-—Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, King’s Birthday, and Labour Day. It was decided to-accept the court’s preference clause, and other minor matters were settled. The two points that could not be agreed upon were the wages and a week’s holidayon full pay every year. The employers retired to consider these two matters, and on returning Mr Cookson announced that the employers could not depart from the offer they had made. The two points as to wages and an annual holiday of a week on full pay were reserved for the Arbitration Court to deal with.