PRINTING TRADES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25829, 27 April 1945, Page 6

PRINTING TRADES

CLASSIFICATION DISPUTE (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Apl. 26. When the combined printing trades dispute came before the Court of Arbitration to-day, it was disclosed that agreement had been reached on all matters except classification. In Conciliation Council in November last the employers agreed to a modification of the classification clause to include in class I towns with a population of more than 2000 (the previous class II related to towns with a population of 6000 and under), which would have meant an increase in wages for the day workers affected as follows: For linotype operators, 10s a week; for machinists and hand compositors, 12s 6d a week; these rates to be superimposed by an increase in the night allowance from 10s to 15s a week. This was not ratified by the court, which, following its pronouncement of March 17 specifying the standard rates of wages, referred the whole dispute back to the Council of Conciliation. As a result of the altered circumstances since November. 1944, arising primarily from the court’s standard wage pronouncement, the employers at the second Conciliation Council hearing declined to agree to the modification of the classification clause on the ground that the increases in the case of workers in towns of a population exceeding 2000 and under 6000 would be 16s 8d a week for linotype operators and 19s 2d for machinists and hand compositors, both amounts increased by the court’s two cost-of-living bonuses. This, it was contended, would be inconsistent with the court’s pronouncement. Mr K. Baxter appeared for the workers at the hearing and Mr E. W. Clarkson for the employers. Mr Baxter submitted that the proposed alteration to the classification did not in any sense make for a breaking of the policy of economic stabilisation It did seek, however, to promote a certain bending so far as the pi’inting industry was concerned. The court reserved its decision..

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