The Sawmilling Disnute.

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 20, 12 September 1905, Page 2

The Sawmilling Disnute.

PROPOSED NEW AGREEMENT BY THE UNION QF SAWMILL WORKERS.

The most important'matter that has been the Arbitration Court, at the present sitting m Irtyercargill, is the hearing of the dispute between the employers and employees : regarding the. scale of wages. We publish the demands of the men and the counter proposals of the employers, also a table showing the prevailing wages at the mills now alongside Oi those demanded and offered.'

Mr. Scott, Dunedin, appeared on behalf of the Employers, and Messrs O'Byrne (president) and; Paape (secretary), represented the! Union. ,

Mr Paape. m opening for the merv, addressed the court for 2£ hours, and drew a comparison between the wages and conditions m Southland,, and those engaged m the same industry m the North Island, and elarimed an increase wages throughout Southland.

firstjjwitness for the Union was Thomas O'Byrne (president of the Union of Workers) shoeman at Woodend, His wages were 10s per day. He started work at 7.30 a.m. Had received up to 12s per day. The work was arduous and dangerous. There had been an increase m the cost of living since the last award. It was not safe to. employ boys as hauling engine drivers,

"William Moncur, tally clerk, Asher's Siding, for 13 years, said the log wages for the position were £10 103 p«r month, he received £12. It was responsible work, and he worked about an extra hour daily without remuneration. Living was considerably dearer during the last few years. The introd iction of up-to-date machinery had lessened, cost of production and increased the output,

Walter Oorbin, tramway layer, stated it coßt him Jss a week, to batch. He got 9s per day and averaged about 23 days per month.

Eichard Robertson, leadings bushman, Otautau, received 10s per day. Knew several men receiving more than the rate of wages asked by the Union. His work was of a dangerous character. A hauling engine would draw nearly twice as many logs as bullocks.

John- Bridgman, engine 1 driver, Mabel Bush, had 30 years experience,, and received 9a per day. Frequently got up steflSn m the morning and the mill did not work, Got no pay for such- time-. Considered an engine driver should not b 9 engaged at other work tban his engine. Thought a time book should be kept m the mill.

Alexander Paterson, sawyer, Tisbury, received 1 £3 5s per week, full time. The Union's demands were reasonable. He worked 9 hours 2ft minutes daily. Sawing was a dangerous occupation. There had been a slight increase m cost of living. Was opposed to. the contract system,, ( it bad a tendency to nigger driving.

W. H. McMamara,. brahman,, Seaward; Bush, said his pay was 98 per day. He worked on an average about 20, days a mouth. It tcok a man two or three years to learn to be a buahman. Wben inexperienced men started it put heavier work on their mates. He would not work alongside of a. man getting l^s=s than TJniou wages.

Jacob Alsweiler, slabman, Wbodend, received 7s 6d per day. His mill worked about 22 days p?r month. Had a leasehold farm, and m that way supplempnted his wages. Preference should b& given to unionists.

William Bonnie, sboeman,. Tisbury, said his occupation was a dangerous one, and required great care. The general feeling was that if wage* were reduced, employees would be greatly dissatisfied.

David Ferrier, troileyman,, Waicola, was paid 93 Gd per day fall time, and had a good house, rent free. It took more time to attand to the sawmill horsea than farm horses. He had worked about 12 hours per day, and received no exlra pay, for the longer hours.

Oliver Ackers, boebman, North InvercargilJ,, BtQitid, that lie was injured, about 13,

years ago. He received no compensation because the accident was not reported within the prescribed time. He could not work as bard now. His pre3ent wages w«re 8s per day casual work. Buslafelling was a very dangerous occupation. John Hart, bullock drirer, Louis AJsweiler, bushman, George Birss, shoeman, andH. Harper, engine driver, also gave evidence for the men.

Mr Scoit, on behalf of the Employers, submitted that between 1000 nnd 1902, when the pvesent scale of wag^ was agreed to, the sawm.lltng industry wsia a floaris'iing one, otherwise employers wo I<V not hay« agreed to fliie-b a bigh lo.", iho wages being (the highest paid for eight kours work m the ea-"-milling trnde, m the world. Competition was now much keener. Prices had been reduced, t.D3 hi,'h minimum wage had decreised the work do^, and the present outlook of the mcm try was very seriom. The previous award had cited 63 sawmillen, and there werr< now only 41. The cost of production owing to the removal of llje mils from Uu flat to mountainous country, has enormously increased. Unless the employers got some relief from the present rate of wages, disaster confronted a number of them.

W. H. Brent, managing trustee of the Southland" Sawmilling* Company, stated that when the last agreement was made-, the trade was very good. At the present time 60 to 70 per cent, of the mills were working m rough country, and*the cost of production was increased. Seaward Bush carried 2000 to nOOOCt per acre f and was the best bush m this part of the country. Witness produced a list of discounts which had to be allowed off the advertised selling price of timber, and which ranged from 22J to 7$ per cent. Evidence was also given by A. B, Wallace, snwmiller, Hedgebope, and James Collins, Crown Lands Banger,

The following is the proposnd new agreement : — '

Hours of labour. — For the work of workers of all classes employed m or about any timber yard or sawmill the week's work shall consist of 48 hours, and the time for beginning work m each mill shall be m accordance with the practices obsorved by each employer at the date of the coming into operation of this award ; but employers shall as far as possible, so arrange the hours to be worked as to enable the man to cease work on the pay day at 3 p.m, providing 48 hours have been worked during the week. The foregoing limits of working hours shall not apply to any workers employed m getting up steam for the machinery m the respective mills of the employers, or m making _f or the ordinary daily work for such mills, but any work required to be done m the repairing of machinery or periodical cleaning out- of boilers, sh&ll not be included m the 48 hours, hut shall be paid for at the overtime rentes as provided by olause 3 hereof.

Overtime.— Overtime sh a' 1, subject to the provisions of clause 2 hereof, be paid at the rate of time and a quarter. , Holidays —The following shall be reeogr nised' liol,idays : — New Year's Day, Good Friday, Saturday preceding Easter Monday, Cbristmas Day and Boxing Day. Any work requiring to be done On these days to be pai \ for at double the rates provided.

Minimum rate of wages. — The following shall be the minimum rate of wages to be paid to all workers m country mills, and clause "q" and "r" shall also apply to town yards: — (a) To breast bench sawyer who keeps two saws, 11s per day full time ; (b) to breast bench sawyer who keeps one saw, 10s 6d per day full time ; (c) to breast bench sawyar who keeps no saw, 10s per day full time;(d)to big bench, sawyer who keeps bottom and top saw, lOsj^e) to big bench sawyer who keens no saw, 9s 6d; (f) to breast bench taller-oat, 10s ; (g) to big bench tailer-out, 9s 6d ; (h) to competent men employed working planing machines, lls ; (i) engine drivers m charge of engines over 14 h.p., £3 per week full time ; (J) engine drivers m charge of engines under 14 h,p, £2 10s per week full time ; (k) loco<motive engine drivers, lls per day ; (ty,hushmen, stokers, bullock-drivers, 10s pec day j (m) log trolleyraen £3 per week full time ; (n) shoemen, lls per day ; (o) tramway men laying new tramway, 9s 6d per day; (p) $ram way repairers, 9s per dayj (q,)i elabmen and timber trolleymen, 9s per day ; (x)t sawdust and shavings men, 8s 6d per day ; (s) head talleyman, m charge of the yard, who may also be engaged m loading timber, £3 per week full time ; (t) other yardmen, whosduty it is, although not m charge of the yard, to measure timber and unload trucks, 9s per day ; (v) youths 15 years of age and under* 5s per day (an advance of Is per day to be made for every year over 16). Weekly men.— Head yardmen, breast bench sawyers, engine drivers-, and troJleyman tob9 employed by the week, and no deduction from the pay to be made on account of holidays through no fault of their own. ,

Preference*— Throughout al the branches recognised by this award, preference of employment shall be given by employers to members of the Southland Timber Yards and Sawmill Industrial TJniqn. of Workers, an 3 on the part of the Union preference of enjployment shull be given to the Master Sawmillers' Association, it being understood that m every case all things muat be eq,ual. When a non-unionist workman is employed by an employer m consequence of an employer being unable to employ a workmen of equal ability willing to undertake the work> at any time after 12 weeks have lapsed, the Union shall have the right to supply a man oapable of performing the. work, provided the first worker employed declines to become a member of the Union. This provision shall also apply non-union. m©n already employed. The Union shall keep m some convenient place within one mite from the chief post-office, Invercargill, a book to be called " The Employment Book," wherein shall be entered the names and exact addresses of all the members of the Union for the time being out of employment, with a description of the branch of the- trade m which each such member claims to be profioient, and the names, addresses, and occupation of every employer by whom each "such journeyman, shall have been employed during the preceding nine months. Immediately upon any such member obtaining employment, a note thereof shall be entered m such book. The executive of the Union shall use their best endeavours to verify the entries oontained m such book, and the Union Bhall be liable for a breach of this award m case any entry m sufih book shall be wilfully false to the know.lndge of the executive of the Union, or m case they shall not have used reasonable endeavours to verify the same. Such book shall be open to every employer, without fee or charge, on every working day'exoept Wednesday, between the hours o| JJ. a.m and 5 p.m., and on Wednesday, between the hours of 8 ajn and noon. If tfte Union fail to keep the book m- the manner 'ptfQscribedi by this olauß.e, then., and m socb icase-, and sa long as such failure shall ooniinus, employers may, if tbey shall so think fit, employ any person, whether a member of the Union or not, to perform the partioular work required to ba done, notwithstanding the foregoing provisions., Notice by advertisement m the daily newspapers, published at lovercargill, shall be given by. the Union of the plaoe where such Employment Book i& kept, and of any change m suflh place. No employer shull discriminate against members of the Union, and no employer, Bhall, m the engagement or dism-issai of his hands, or m the conduct of his business, do anything for the purpose of injuring the. Unjoju w,hajth«r directly or indirectly. Time and wages book tabefteptf. — That a time and w,aget» book be placed at a convenient place m the mill, setting Jforth tbe time worked, and the wages paid to. all the men.emoloye.d.in. the.maU.wiA m, tbj» hush*

which m»ay bo inspected by the Inspector of Factories and the secretary at any lime. Wages. — All wages to be paid m cash every month, on a date to be fixed, and not later than the 6th; bat, at the close of the year all wages skajl be paid up to4he date of leaving work.

Contracts. — That ho contracts b& allowed between mill-owners and employes, and that all contracts existing at the coining into operation ol this award shall be abolished.

Housing accommo 'ation.— -That suitable and sufficient housing accommodation and firewood .be provided for ell workmen who niny r^quiro the ?ame, as has hitherto existed m Southland,- without charge. Copy uf co-idiiions to be oor<te;l sp. — Every employer shnll receive from the Uaion a. copy ot tho/.condtions of labour, whioh Bball bep>stedin an accessible and conspicuous po ition m ibn mill.

Termination of emp'oyment.- Twentyfour hours' notice of t.ue t- rm.ination of the services ol the workman ghall be given by the employer of the workman, and by the workman to the employer. That thia agreement remain m force for a period of thre* years.