CONCILIATION COUNCIL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21939, 28 April 1933, Page 6

CONCILIATION COUNCIL

MANUFACTURING CHEMISTS’ DISPUTE The Conciliation Commissioner (Mr S. Ritchie) was engaged yesterday with the hearing of several disputes. The first was the dispute between Messrs W. Gregg and Co., Ltd., Kempthorne, Prossei and Co., Ltd., and Marshall Proprietary on the one hand and the Dunedin Manufacturing Chemists’ Union. The assessors for the employers were Messrs D. Campbell, W. Hopkins, and W. B. Seymour, with Mr R. S. M, Sinclair as agent, and for the employees Messrs T. Grant, A. G. Paterson, and J. Robinson (agent). It was agreed that the wages for male workers should be £5 weekly for qualified laboratory assistants and a qualified man in charge of the pill room, and £4 for unqualified.. laboratory assistants and an unqualified man in charge of the pill room. All other workers it was agreed should receive £3 12s per week. The wages-for female workers were agreed to as follows; —For the first six months 15s, second six months I7s 6d, second year £1 2s 6d, third year £1 ss, fourth year £1 13s. and thereafter £1 15s, with a proviso that those at present receiving £1 17s 6d shall not be reduced. For youth workers it was agreed that the wages to be paid to youths under 21 years of age should be:—For the first six months 15s, second six months 17s 6d, second year £1 2s 6d. third year £1 7s 6d. fourth year £1 15s, fifth year £2 10s, thereafter the minimum wage, prescribed for adult workers, Agreement was reached on all other points.

HAIRDRESSERS AND TOBACCONISTS’ DISPUTE Complete agreement was reached in the dispute between the Hairdressers and Tobacconists’ Assistants’ Union and the employers. Messrs V, S. Jacobs, W. Stewart, and R. S. M. Sinclair (agent) were the assessors for the employers and Messrs W. W. Batchelor (agent), 6. Randle, and C. Purches for the union. Mr Jacobs stated that the offer made by the employers with respect to wages was a bedrock one and was not intended as a starting point for bargaining. They were offering the final limit and_ the only direction in which they were likely to change their minds was in the way of a reduction of the offer.

Mr Batchelor asked whether the employers would be prepared to place their books at the disposal of the Arbitration Court and allow the question of wages to be decided there, but the employers’ representatives were not prepared to agree to that course. Some discussion ensued on the subject of wages, but it was finally agreed that if the employers would accept the union’s scale of wages for female workers the union in turn would accept the offer of the employers for males. The new scale of wages for female hairdressers as agreed upon was as follows:—First y&ar, 15s; second year, 20s; third year, 255; fourth •year, 40s; and fifth year 60s. It was also agreed that the minimum rate for journeymen or journeywomen should be £4 per week. A clause prohibiting the leasing of chairs, suggested by the union, was not included in the agreement, but a provision for the employment of casual workers at a rate to be agreed upon between the secretary or president of the union and the employer w’as agreed to. DUNEDIN JOURNALISTS’ DISPUTE A complete agreement was reached in the Dunedin journalists’ dispute, which was held in the afternoon The assessors for the employers were Messrs W. Easton, C. S. Smith, and H. F. Harris, and for the union Messrs S. D, Minn, W. J. M'Lauchlan, and E. C. Courtney, The settlement reached embodied a general reduction of wages of 6 per cent, so far as seniors were concerned. The wages of juniors and cadets were further reduced, but provision was made for not more than a 5 per cent, reduction for the present employees. Provision was made for ,an annual vacation of three weeks for; senior journalists and two weeks for other employees. Reporters are classed under Grade I, Grade 11, and Grade 111, with provision for the number of each grade to be employed. The hours of work were fixed at 48 per week and time worked in excess of those hours will be deemed to be overtime and paid for at the rate_ of time and one-half unless equivalent time off is allowed. The agreement is for one year from May 27, 1933.

OIL STOREMEN AND PACKERS i Per Unitki I'rcs- association WELLINGTON, April 27. A full conciliation agreement was reached yesterday between the oil companies and the storemen and packers under a new Dominion award, which will be operative from May 13. Rates of pay were fixed to include storemen at £3 15s and £3 17s fid, head storeman £4 2s fid, casual rates Is 9jd per hour, youths from 15s at 17 years to £3 10s at 21 and over. Hours of work Were fixed at 48, and an annual holiday of one week _on half-pay. Overtime was fixed at time and a-half, and rationing is permitted by mutual arrangement, 48 hours’ notice of rationing to be given.