ARBITRATION COURT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20101, 18 May 1927, Page 14

ARBITRATION COURT.

SITTINGS IN DUNEDIN. A sitting of tho Arbitration Court was held in Dunedin yesterday afternoon before Mr Justice Frazer (president) and Messrs W. Scott and A. L. Montoith. AMENDMENT OF AWARDS. Application was made to add A. Slater and Co., the Dunedin City Corporation, and the South Island Dairy Association to the tinsmiths’ award.—Mr A. J. Rice appeared for tho Tinsmiths’ Union to support tho award, to which there was no opposition. —The application was granted. Application was made to add to the motor mechanics' award a number of Dunedin parties.—Mr A, J. Rico appeared for tho union.—An order was made as requested. The Gore Implement Co. was added to the Dominion engineers’ award. STATIONARY ENGINE-DRIVERS.

The recommendations of the Conciliation Council in respect to an award pertaining to tho stationary engine-drivers, firemen, i and greasers’ award came before the court, and wore embodied in an award, with a slight amendment which both parties had agreed to. DRIVERS’ AWARD. Application was made to strike out from tho drivers’ award the City Dye Works. Mr J. Robinson appeared for the union to object. Mr J. P. Morris (for the employers) said tho Dye Works Company had boon granted exemption from previous awards, and it was through inadvertence that application was not made in tho present award. 11. Ilalliday, proprietor of tho works, said the young man he. employed on a motor car to take out light parcels was only spasmodically employed. In reply to Mr Herbert (secretary of tho Drivers’ Union), witness said the young man was not employed in driving for six hours in a day. lie received £4 fs 6d for 44 hours. ~ . . , , George Curline said he had acted as motor driver for the City Dye Works. 110 was employed from January to April by tho company, and all his time was spen. in tho van, either driving or attending to tho motor. His hours wore 9 a.m. to 0 n.m. Sometimes he worked overtime. When business slackened down, ho was dismissed from the factory. , , Mr Halliday rebutted tho witness s evidence and gave another reason for his dismissal. The young fellow was truthful and a good worker. . , Consideration of the application was deferred. FIRE BRIGADES’ DISPUTE.

When the Fire Brigade’s dispite was before the Conciliation Council, a partial agreement was come to. but one or two matters, principally wages, were loft for the court to consider. Mr J. r. " orr *, and Mr Hamann (secretary of the board) appeared for the board; Mr J. Robinson (or the union. Mr Robinson said the union claimed that “married men who are not provided with quarters shall be granted a.housei a low anco of £1 per week.” this suggestion was in the terms of the Auckland agreement The next amendment tho men doIrcd was a new sub-clause, which read as follows:—“Firemen and motoi-drivers on completion of three years service, shall be naid Id per day extra during the fourth year of service, and thereafter Id per day tor each succeeding year of service until a total of 12 years has been comp eted This clause was also to be found in the Auckland agreement. It was dearly a r - cognition of long service, and the amount involved was purely nominal It represented to each man with the required length of service about £1 10s for the fourth year; £3 for the fifth year; £4 10> for the sixth, year; £6 tor the seventh year; £7 10s for the eighth year; £9 for the ninth year; £lO 10s for the tenth year; £l2 for the eleventh year; and finally £l3 10s for the twelfth year. It was not an exorbitant claim; the granting of it would not embarrass the boards finances, and it was sound in principle for it made for greater efficiency and longer service. In regard to wages, the union was asking for an° increase of 4s per week for probationers, third-class firemen, and second-class firemen ; 6s per week for first-class firemen, and 5s 6d per week for senior firemen. This would mean that probationers would receive £3 11s, third-class firemen £3 16s, second-class firemen £4 Is. first-class firemen £4 8s and senior firemen £4 11s. llio last point in dispute was the exception of the term of the award was sub-clause (d) of clause 2, which read: “Payment of holiday leave shall be made prior to commencing the holiday term.” This was another Auckland clause. Tho Dunedin Board objected to it on the ground that the men were asking payment of money before it was earned. Tho men submitted, on the other hand, that as they were entitled to tho holidays as soon as they completed his year’s service on January 31, and then wished to leave the service, tho board would be bound to pay him for tho holidays ho had earned. It was during the holidays period that the men needed their wages most, especially if they wished to leave town, as they mostly did. In a restraining occupation such as this the men looked forward to their annual leave; they wished to go away and forget all about their work and its dangers, and it would be extremely hard if they had to remain in the city, or curtail their holiday because the board would not pay them their wages for tho holidays they had earned by a rear’s faithful service

Mr Morris, for tbo employers, said in 1925 the men were conciliatory, and’ now they came along with a demand oij allfours with the Auckland agreement. There wore benefits the firemen in Dunedin received that they did not pot in other parts of tho Dominion. For instance, in addition to their pay they received £25 a year for their general fund. An allowance for the mess was given to a greater extent than in Auckland. A first-class fireman receiving £4- 2s_6d a week also got free house, free lighting and free coal, and had a uniform provided. He was really in a better position than tho ordinary skilled worker. As a matter of fact, there was no comparison between Auckland and Dunedin. Auckland had a population of 180,000; Dunedin 77,000. The fires in Auckland numbered many more than in Dunedin. Tt was always the policy of the Dunedin Board to give consideration to tho men when it could do so, but it had to remember it was the .custodian of public money If the board granted the men’s claims it might have to find its own remedy, and discharge men before thev became eligible for what tho board considered an unusual demand.

J. T. Hamann, secretary of the board, said the policy of the board recognised the good work of the brigade and the excellent service rendered by tho men.

The President said the court would take time to consider its decision.