CONCILIATION COUNCIL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22609, 28 June 1935, Page 4

CONCILIATION COUNCIL

ELECTRICAL WORKERS* DISPUTE PROVISION FOR RADIOTRICIANS SOUGHT The Conciliation Commissioner (Mr S.< Ritchie) was occupied yesterday in hearing an application by the Dunedin and Suburban Electrical Workers' Union for a new award covering the wages and conditions of the section including electricians and' radio servicemen. Messrs L. Johnstone, I. M'Bride, M. Corlet and J. Robinson acted as assessors for the union, and Messrs S. F. Chalmers, C. Spnntag, R. Walls and F. C. Scrivener for the employers. About 80 firms, electrical engineers, electricians, and radio dealers, were cited by the union as parties. The union asked for a wage of 2s 3d an hour for registered wiremen. For a worker employed about a ship's boilers or at installing or overhauling storage batteries .(other than at work covered by the motor mechanics', award), at work in freezing chambers while freezing is being carried out, or in repairing damage done by fire when the worker comes in contact with charred material, an extra Is Id per day was sought; and for the worker working about an engineroom or ship's boiler where the temperature was over 115 deg. or for "dirty (as agreed upon) time and a-half ordinary rates was asked. An additional la 2d a clay was asked for any registered wireman in charge of three or four men, not including apprentices. For radio servicemen the union sought 2s 3d an hour. In their counter-claims the employers offered Is lid an hour for journeymen electrical workers and an extra shilling a day for a journeyman in charge of work on which there are three or more workers other than apprentices. Mr Scrivener submitted an application to strike out from the list of parties the names of radio dealers. It was claimed, he said, that the radio industry was not sufficiently well established to allow of hard and fast conditions being laid for it. Of necessity radio servicemen must be classed as semi-skilled, for they did not have to serve an apprenticeship, like the electrician. The work of the radio servicemen did not encroach upon that of the electrical wiremen. Mr Robinson said he could not agree at the moment to the exclusion of the radio servicemen. In reply to the commissioner it was stated that the majority of the parties cited were radio dealers. There were about 20 or 30 men employed as radio servicemen.

Mr Robinson said that provision was made for radio servicemen in the Wellington award. Mr Scrivener said the radio servicemen were expressly excluded ' from the Auckland award, which was made after the Wellington award. The commissioner suggested that the question of parties be held over till the claims were discussed. It seemed to him that the point was that the radio servicemen were engaged in a new industry and that they should be provided for somewhere. . There might be something in favour of the electricians looking after them. Mr Scrivener said that owing to the changing conditions of the' industry there was no definite point where a man could be classified. Mr Robinson said the radio man had to pass an examination. Mr Scrivener said it was claimed there was no direct, relationship between the electricians and radiotricians. After discussion it was agreed that during the luncheon adjournment both parties should consider the question of provision for radio servicemen. On resuming, Mr Scrivener said that his side was of opinion that if the radiotricians were strong enough they should make an effort to obtain an award of their own. . The commissioner said that if it were a case of splitting the agreement in halves it would be necessary to adjourn, to allow the employees' assessors to refer the matter back to their union. Mr. Robinson asked if the employers would be prepared to negotiate for a separate award for radiotricians, as it would be no use going to the expense of filing a citation if the employers, would not agree. Mr Scrivener said that this aspect had not been considered ■ by him and his fellow assessors. It would be necessary for radio dealers to get together and discuss the position. Mr Robinson suggested that a private conference between the parties might be held. After the radio dealers had come to a. decision, and if this proved satisfactory-, a citation could be issued. To obtain a satisfactory working basis, the question of hours and overtime for radiotricians was then discussed tentatively, and Mr Scrivener said he would put the proposition before a meeting of radio dealers which was to be held in the near future. The union's demands with regard to wiremen were then dealt with, and after a lengthy discussion, complete agreement was reached on all points. The commissioner pointed out that this agreement, however, did not affect radio servicemen, whose position would be considered if necessary, at a future sitting.