WOOLLEN WORKERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20448, 30 June 1928, Page 8

WOOLLEN WORKERS.

SEEKING INCREASED WAGES. CONCILIATION COUNCIL SITTING. Claims made by the New Zealand Federated Woollen Mills .Employees’ Union for increased wages and alterations in the existing award were considered yesterday by the Concilliation Council, "which commenced a sitting in Dunedin. The Commissioner (Mr W. H. Hagger) presided. It is a Dominion dispute, affecting the Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, Otago and Southland industrial districts. The assessors for the union were Messrs W. W. Batchelor, G. W. Gower (Onehunga), E. C. Harper (Kaiapoi), P. Ramage and J. Simpson (Dunedin), J. Robinson (Oamaru), and \\. T. Young (Wellington). Mr Batchelor, who is secretary of the Otago Union, said the assessors were all mill workers with the exception of Mr Young and himself. Mr Young was secretary of the Wellington Union. The assessors for the employers were Messrs T. C. Ross (Dunedin), W. L. ■Wood (Mosgiel), E. Moore (Milton), J. B. Porteous (Dunedin), T. Leithead (Kaiapoi), and A. S. Cookson (secretary of the Employers’ Association, Dunedin). The employers submitted the existing award, with a minor alteration, as counter proposals. The hours of work as stipulated in the present award were agreed upon. These were 45 a week, the hours of night work to be arranged between the mill manager and the majority of night workers. The union asked for 10 per cent, in addition to the ordinary rates for night workers. To this demand the employers would not agree. Overtime of time and a-half for the first three hours and double time thereafter was agreed upon. The union asked that, except where otherwise provided, the minimum wage for adult female workers should be 50s a week (under the present award they receive Is an hour after four years). Mr Batchelor said that the shop girls received more at present than the female i workers in a factory. It was claimed by the employers’ assessors that the factory girls wore out more clothes. Mr Cookson said the employers would Hot agree to give any increase on the present rate of wages. For adult male workers 2s 3d an hour was asked for wool sorters, weavers (hand loom), warpers, spinners and assistant carders. A wage of £5 10s a week was asked for tuners.For wool scourers, chain minders, assistant combers, head pressers, first assistants in milling room, dyeing house, and hosiery scourers the union asked 2s Id an hour. The claims asked that in every case except tuners the wage should be an hourly one, the worker to be entitled to be paid only for the time actually worked. The following minimum rates for girls were asked;—First six months, 15s a week; second six months, 17s fid; third six months, 20s; fourth six months, 22s fid; fifth six months, 30s; sixth six months, 32s fid; seventh six months, 355; eighth six months, ,40s. The first four rates quoted were the same as the present award and were agreed to. The rates for the fifth six months and thereafter represented an increase from 27s fid to 32s fid, from 30s to 355, and from 35s to 40s, but these were not acceptable to the employers.. For boys and youths from 14 to 15 years the union asked for 16s fid a W'eek; 15 to 16 years, 21s fid; 16 to 17 years, 26s fid; 17 to 18 years, 31s fid. These being the same as in the present award, they were agreed upon. For youths from 18 to 19 the union asked for an increase from IOJd an hour to Is an hour; from 19 to 20 years, for an increase from Is Id to Is fid; and from 20 to 21 years, from Is 4J to Is 9d; but these could not be agreed upon. The union asked that the rate paid to piece workers (male and female) as at December 14, 1914, should, plus 60 per cent., he the rate which should continue to be paid during the currency of the award, provided that such piece workers (except weavers) should receive not less than the amount specified for time workers. A W'eaver .with four years’ experience in a mill who did not average the minimum wage over a period of four weeks should have his or her wages made up to that amount. The length of the warp and the price per cut should be clearly stated when the work was placed on the loom. The employers would not agree to this clause. A request of the union was that in time of slackness work should be evenly divided among the workers. The employers’ representatives said this Mas already carried into effect as far as possible, but it would be very difficult to comply with if such a clause Mas inserted in the aM-ard. Mr Hagger said the point had once been referred to the Arbitration Court, M'hich had decided that a fair disti’ibution of work might not be an even distribution. The union asked for the insertion of a clause stating that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the Factories Act, 1921-22, the fol-loM-iug days be observed as full holidays and pa?J for at the rate of time workers:—New Yegg's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, King’s Birthday, Labour Day, Anzac Day, and Christmas Day. The clause M - as not acceptable to the employers. At this stage the adjournment Mas made to the afternoon. On resuming in the afternoon the clauses passed over More further reviewed, and finally the union representatives made a proposal for a complete settlement on the basis of the existing award M-ith the substitution of the union’s preference clause for the present clause M-ith slight modifications, and the insertion of the union’s holiday cluse. The employers’ assessors M'ore unable to agree to these two clauses, and, M-ith the exception of the clauses previous!}’ agreed upon, the dispute Mas referred to the Arbitration Court for settlement.