ARBITRATION COURT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21020, 8 May 1930, Page 17

ARBITRATION COURT.

HAIRDRESSERS’ DISPUTE. Tho Arbitration Court—Mr Justine Frazer, Mr W. C. Paine (employers’ representative), and Mr A. L. Monteitb (workers' representative)—continued its sittings yesterday morning, when the Otago Hairdressers and Tobacconists* Assistanta’ Industrial Union of Workers brought forward a claim for increased wages ami improved working conditions. Air W. W. Batchelor appeared for.the union, and Mr A. S. Cookson for the employers. In regard to male hairdressers the claims referred to the court concerned hours of work, meal hours, and wages. Ihe employees asked for a 48-hour .week, exclusive of meal hours, which, it was requested, should be arranged by each employer according to the circumstances of his business, so that an hour should be given for dinner between noon and 2 p.m. on five days of the week, with an hour off for tea between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday nights. The minimum wage asked for a journeyman or jonrnoywoman was not Jess than £5 10s per week for a gentlemen’s hand and £6 b erG °k for a ladies’ or ladies’ and gentlemans hand,.provided that any journeyman or journeywoman at present receivnig more than the minimum wages should not have his or her wages reduced. 1 1 sc 4 ,c ! n of Hie claims, it was asketl that the minimum wage for a iourneywoman should lie £4 10s per week 4 VV- his se °t>on asked that aiVcmplo>ei taking an apprentice to learn the dnf! 0 S 1 1 "'! d , be dccmed to undertake the h .° agreed to perform under no? wii nnd i S , h ° l, i d „ pa -'; such apprentice not less than the following wages;—For the first year, 20s per week; for the >’ oai ’- 30s Per week; for the third year, 40s per week; for the fourth year. m.L Per "' ee H : and - thereafter the minimum u ages for a .lourneywomau. The clause relating to tho‘hours of work for tobacconists assistants stated that the hours of work should be 48 per week, to bo worked between the hours of 8 a m ana h P.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays; between 8 a.m. aad 9 J- 1 * 1 - 011 Fridays, and between 8 a.m. and Ep.m. on Saturdays. The miniR^ I r,+" a ? CS ,P a . yal: >l e to tobacconists’ assistants shouldl be;—Dunng the first year of service: Males 255, females 22s 6d; second year, 35s and 31s 6d; third rear 60S and 58s 6d; fourth year, ]s a and 6Ss 6d and thereafter. 100 s and Ws. l, m i lttlnc . the employees’ claims. ™Li- cheloi^ tllat the y claimed, in connection with the scope of the award, that Otago-and Southland should be classified as one industrial district, and that ° a }y one award should obtain in that district. Ihe next claim was in reference to “wrs of work, and although they were ot the opinion that 48 hours per week was too long, m view of the world-wide movement towards shorter hours, they were ready to agree to having 48 hours inserted in the award on condition that the employers would agree to the rest of the hours of work clause. Their claim to nave the days of the week inserted would nave the effect of closing all shops at the same time, and no employer would be able, unless he broke the law, to have any advantage over another. At the present time, nearly every day of the week_was observed by one employer or the other; Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursand Saturday were observed J n .., Dunedin as the . weekly halfholiday. Speaking of the claim for wages, Mr Batchelor said that this _ claim was not at all extravagant, considering the work required to be done and the prices received by the employer lor it. Over three years ago, when they placed their case before the court, they referred to the court’s pronouncement of September, 1925, in reference to skilled workers, pointing out that the trade of hairdressing was one of the most skilful trades that could be imagined, also making reference to a part of the pronouncenient wherein it stated that fr additional rates are prescribed where work is performed under unpleasant conditions, or where special care or experience is required, etc.” His Honor said that the union could not include Southland in the scope of its award, although it could have members in that district. In reply, Mr Cookson contended that practically the whole of the‘matters now m dispute were referred to and settled by the court when the present award was made in 1927. The union's claims were identical with those which were then submitted; except in respect of the rates ot wages claimed, and in the absence of material change in conditions during the last three years, the employers did not consider that the union was justified in again bringing up the questions which .had been argued at length and settled by the court. In respect to the wages of tobacconists assistants, the present rates were to by the parties. The highest minimum rates for . males and females were the same as those prescribed lor general shop assistants, but the tobacconists assistants had the advantage of reaching the highest minimum two years earlier than general shop assistants, namely, on attaining the age of 21. ' Concerning the scope of the award, the employers desired that so far as Otago was concerned the scope of the award should be limited as at present to a radius of 12 miles from the Chief Post Office, Dunedm, and to a radius of four miles from the Chief Post-Office, Oarnaru, Invercargill and Gore were cut out fay the new separate award for Southland.' The employers to an extension of the scope on the grounds—first, that there was no competition between the town and country employers; second, because in the small country towns the establishments were mostly one-man places and employed no labour; and third, because it would be most unfair both to the occupiers and their customers if closing hours, which were quite suitable for the city, were imposed on them. The court reserved its decision. WOOLLEN MILLS EMPLOYEES’ APPEAL. .fn afternoon the court was occupied in hearing an appeal by the Dunedin and Mosgiel Woollen Mills Employees’ Union to have piecework rates fixed for certain material designated by the employees as tweed le cm t d °y er9 as dress Mr W. W. Batchelor appeared for tho appellants and Mr A. S. Cookson for the employers. In outlining the case for the employees, Mr Batchelor said that the dispute arose as the outcome of the Eoslyn Woollen Company failing to pay the rates as prescribed in the log rates that were posted in the pattern room of the Eoslyn Woollen Mills. In' July last a cut was placed on the looms with a ticket which described the material as overcoating. It had been the custom in the Eoslyn Mills for all time, to recognise overcoating as “ tweed ” and had always been paid for' as sneh. When the first pay day came around after the material in question was .made, payment was made as it the material was “ dress tweed.” Naturally the workers complained, and they wore informed that a mistake had been made in the designation of the material, and when the next cut was placed on the looms, the ticket bore the words “dress tweed.” The material in dispute contained 18 threads to the inch and the time taken to weave this material was exactly the same time as material termed tweed with the same number of thread's to this inch and the work for the weaver was exactly tlm same. Another matter in connection with this material was that the warp was exactly the same as used for tweeds, whereas the warp used for dress tweeds was entirely different. The material in dispute was made in lengths of CO ells and 65 ells, whilst the length of tweeds was 50 ells. Tile payment (according to the. company) is 11a lid for the length of 60 ells and 11s 8d for Vi° of 50 ells, the result being that 10 ells wore woven for the price of 3d. Edith Shaw, a weaver employed in the Koslyn Woollen Mills, gave evidence ns to the time occupied in weaving the respective materials and the payment received in each case. Mr Cookson said that tho whole trouble arose over a clerical error in whicb someone had unfortunately placed a wrong ticket on some material. Evidence on behalf of the employers was given by James Brown Porteous, who read the accepted descriptions and rates of payment for. tweed and dress tweed, which, he said, had been in force in the mill for the last 20 years. The court reserved its decision.