ARBITRATION COURT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2389, 14 December 1899, Page 23

ARBITRATION COURT.

THE PAINTERS' DISPUTE

The following is the award made in the dispute between the Dunedin Painters' Union and Master Painters: —

Hours of Employment!. (1) The recognised hours of work shall be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on five days of the week, afid from 8 a.m. to noon _on Saturdays, one hour to be allowed each day for dinner (Saturdays excepted) from the first day of August to the 31st day of May (both inclusive), and from the Ist day of June to the 31st day of July, from 8 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. on five days in the week, and from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, one, half-hour to be allowed each day for dinner' excepted). '

Wages. (2) All journeymen working at any branch of the trade (except as hereinafter mentioned) shall be paid not less than one shilling and threepence (Is 3d) per hour. - 1 (3) Any journeyman who considers > himself not capable of earning the minimum wage may be paid. such less wage as may from time to time be agreed upon in writing between such journeyman and the chairman and secretary of the "Workers' Union: and in default of such agreement within 2d hours after such journeyman has applied in writing to the secretary of the union, stating his desire that such wage shall be so agreed upon, as shall be fixed in writing by the chairman of the Conciliation Board for .the industrial district upon the application of such journeyman, after 24 hours' notice in writing to the secretary of the Workerß* Union, who shall (if desired by him) be heard by such chairman on such application. . ■ Any journeyman whose wage .has been' so fixed may work, and may be employed by any employer, for such less wage for the period of six calendar months thereafter, and after the expiration of the said period of sir calendar months, until fourteen, days' notice in writing shall have been given to 'him by "the secretary of the Workers' Union ■ requiring his wage to be again fixed in manner prescribed by this clause.

Overtime.

(i) All time worked beyond the time mentioned in rule 1, or on holidays, shall be considered overtime, and shall be paid for at the rate of time and a-quarter for the first four hours, and time and a-half afterwards on any day except Good Friday, Christmas Day, and Sunday, which shall be paid for at the rats of double time.

Country and Suburban Work.

(5) '' Country work " means work performed by a journeyman or apprentico which necessitates his lodging elsewhere than at his usual place of residence. (6) Any journeyman or apprentice employed in country work shall be conveyed by his employer to and from such work free of charge, or his travelling expenses going to and returning from such work shall be paid, by such employer, but once only during the continuance of tho work if the work is continuous and the journeyman or apprentice is not in the meantime recalled by his employer. (7) Any journeyman or apprentic.o employed upon country work shall be paid, in addition to his wages while employed upon such woric, and while going to and returning from the same, and to his overtime (if any) at the rates herein provided, a further sum of one shilling and sixpence for every day while so employed.

(8) "Suburban work" means work performed by a journeyman ' ; or apprentice at a distance of over a mile and a-half from his employer's place of business, but which does not cpinc within tho definition of " country work." (0) Any journeyman or apprentice employed by his employer upon suburban work shall be conveyed by his employer to and from such work free of charge, or his travelling expenses going to and returning from such work shall be paid by his employer, and he shall also be paid for his time while going to and returning from such work at the rates herein provided.

Apprentices,

(10) All boys working in any branch of tha trade shall bo legally indentured as apprentices for the term of five years, but every boy so employed shall be allowed three calendar months probation prior to being so indentured.

(11) The proportion of apprentices to journeymen employed by any employer shall not exceed one apprentice to every three journeymen or fraction of th*e.

(12) For the purposes of determining the proportion of apprentices to journeymen in taking any new apprentice, the calculation shall be based on a two-thirds full-time employment of the journeymen employed during the previous six calendar months.

(13) Arrangements between employers and apprentices existing at the time of the hear- . ing of this dispute in this court shall not be prejudiced, but any employer then employing any apprentice otherwise than under indentures must procure such apprentice to be indentured within three calendar months after the coming into, operation of this award. (14) If any employer shall, from any unforeseen cause, be unable to fulfil hia obligation to an apprentice, it shall be lawful for such apprentice to complete his term with another employer, notwithstanding that such employer has already the full number of apprentices 15) The wages to be paid to apprentices shall be as follows— namely : For the first year, Ca 6d per week; for the second year, 10s per week; for the third year, 15s per week; for the fourth year,<£l per week; and for the fifth year £1 5s per week.

Preference to Unionists.

(16) If and after the Workers' Union shall so amend its rules as to permit any persons of good character and sober habits, now employed in the trade ia this industrial district, and any other person now residing, or who may hereafter reside in this industrial district., wko

Ts,*6f good 'cuaras£e£¥ifd^soli«. ]f;»T;iJ.sr and wJm f s-n- twiupnitaift 'jeurnVj'roaD*. -to -nicuiLer oLthe union upon Payment of an eh^.:zicv fe«%o« exceftcliiTjj f».j, axd ol av\»eo.vt\\i ecu-lrrVjiio.:tsr,-'*rl£«ihov weekly cr ao\, eoI .exwei' ing (VI per we*k, upon lh« wiitteii abpkcctioa of tha person so djarbringr to tnUrc vf&JWr-rky men's Union/ ihutorseii by tivocinaßjbWn of tb« Workmen's UrJoa^ or accompanied bj\H. snti*factory certificate frqai some rispc-^bte person residing withiji^feh& iaduK£riAl rlistrict.^rli'^oufc ballot or ofhwr election, and shr.ll give notice in. wtitfng ot such amendment, with a copy thereof, by,,;publisb.ing th.fr same three times in tko Otago Daily Times and in the Evening Star 'newspapers, published in the city of Dunedin, then and in such cafiS and thereafter employers shall employ members of the Workers*. Union in preference to non-members, provided th^it there are members of the Workers' Union qualified 'with non-members tV 1 perform ««ho"lparticular<.svo'*lr / * required to! be -done, and ready and willing" to undertake it. that this clause snail not interfereywith engagements, subsisting between employers and non-unionists at '"the time when such amendment as aforesaid shall be made, and notice thereof shall be published as aforesaid ;■ but that' any employer^ may continue to? employ any journeyman then; actually employed by him in .regular, emßlovmeriVtis theretofore,;although such journeyman nifty not be a member of the Yorkers' Union. (17) Until compliance by the Workers' Union with the conditions of the' last clause, employers may employ journeymen, whether members of the Workers' Union or not, but no employer shall discriminate against members of the- Workers' Union^ and no employer shall, in the employment or dismissal of journey^ men or in the conduct of his business, do any-, thing for the purpose of injuring the "Workers* Union, whether directly or indirectly. ' ' (18) When members of the Workers' Union and non-members are employed -together there shall be no distinction between members and non-members, and both shall work together in harmony, and shall receive equal pay for equal work. (19) So soon as the Workers' Union shall perform the conditions entitling the members of the Workers' Union%o preference under the foregoing clauses, and at all times thereafter, the Workers' Union shall keep, in some convenient place within one mile from the Chief Post Office, in the City of Dunedin, a. book,' to be called " The Employment Book,"' wherein shall be entered the names and exact addresses of all -members of the Workers' Union for tha time being out ' of employ, with a description ofthe branch of the trade in which each such journeyman claims to be proficient, and the names, addresses, and occupations of every employer by whom each such journeyman shall ' have been -employed during the preceding two years. Immediately upon any such, journeyman obtaining employment a note thereof shall ba entered in such book. The executive of tha/ Workers' Union shall use their best endeavours' to verify all the entries contained in such book, and the Workers' Union aha.ll be answerable a* for a- breach of this award in case any entry therein shall in any particular be" wilfully false to the knowledge of the executive of the Workers' Union, or in case the executive of tha Workers' Union- shall not have used reasonable endeavours to verify the same.- < Such book shall be open to every employer without fee or charge at. all. hours between 8 a.m. and S' p.m. N on every working day, except Saturday, and on that day -between the hours of 8- a.m. nx^d. noon. If the Workers' Union fait to keep the Employment Book in manner provided by this clause, then and in such case, and so long as such failure shall continue, any' employer "may; if he so thinks fit,* employ any person' or persons, whether „a member of the Workers* "Union- or not, to perform the work required to be performed, notwithstanding the foregoing provisions. Notice by advertisement in the Otago Daily Times and in the Evening Star newspapers, published at the City ' of l)nnedin, shall be given by the Workers' Unioi of the place where such Employment Book ia kept, and of any change in such jplace. > Mr Little (Painters' Union; asked if he could ' say anything on the award. , , The President said he did not think so. Mr Littie wished to point out that there waa one clause they would hardly be able to carry out — namely, that providing that an employee should state the names of the employers for whom he had worked during the last two years. During that time a man might have worked for 150 different employers. The President ■ said : Well, that was. th«» nward that had been made. The men must do the best they could, and he did not see any; difficulty about the matter. , f • Mr Gillies (Master Painters) thanked the pre<

.Bident for the clear manner in which the depision of the court had been given. - .

. The President said no thanks were due to anybody. The court simply tried to do its tluty.

THE WHARF LABOURERS' DISPUTE. The following was the award made in the 3ase ,js£—^e^dispute between the Dunedin ,V» itOTfLahourers' Union and the Union Steam

£hip Company, Keith Ramsay, John Mill and Co., Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company, Otago fearbour BoaTd, H. Guthrie, Neill and Co., A. &. Crawford and Co., and New Zealand Shipping Company. —

(1) For all classes of work performed between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. the wages shall be one shilling and threepence (Is 3d) per hour except as hereinafter mentioned. ' Loading or 'discharging coals or coaling ships' bunkers 'between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. shall be paid for at the rate of one shilling and sixpence (Is 6d) per hour except when loading bunker coal in bags, when coal is to be treated as other cargo. When, however, the bags are carried by men one shilling and sixpence (18 Ed) is to be the rate. Overtime. (2) All work done between the hours of 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. shall be considered as over-time, and shall be paid for at the rate of two 'shillings (2s per hour. Overtime rate shall be paid for all ■work done on Sundays and on holidays and during meal hours. The dinner hour shall be from. 12 noon to 1 p.m. * ■ Holidays. (3) The following shall be the recognised holidays — namely, New Year's Day, Good Friday, the Birthday of the Reigning Sovereign, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. In the event of any of these days ■falling on Sunday work done on the day on which the holiday is observed shall be paid for as overtime. Regularity of ;, Meals. <i) No person shall be employed longer than fi\e hours continuously without an interval for a meal. When night work is to he extended after midnight one hour for supper shall he allowed between 10 p.M. and 11 p.m. When •working all night an interval shall be allowed fo- refreshment at or before 4 a.m. Payment for Waiting. '•5) In the event of men being told off to start vrork at any vessel between the hours of 5 p.m. and 8 a.m., and of the work not being commenced at the time ordered, the men so ,told off shall, after the first hour has expired '<for which no payment shall be made), "be- paid at the rate of half time for the period during iwhich they shall be waiting. Sunday Work. .'6) In the event of a vesseL starting work at m-dnight on Sunday, or before 8 a.m. on Monflay, the men required shall be told off on \Saturday, and not on the arrival of a boat on Sunday. If any uncertainty exists as to the time of starting, a notice shall be posted on tbe corner or at the Sailors' Rest. .Employers Not To Discriminate Against Union. '7) Employers in employing labour shall not -'discriminate against members of the Workers' rtJnion, and shall not in the -engagement or aismissal of men, or in the conduct of their (business, do anything for the purpose of injuring the Workers' Union directly ,or indirectly. --■'8) When members of the Workers Union nud non-members -are- employed together there shall be no distinction between members and non-members, and both shall work together in liarmony, and shall receive equal pay for equal .work. _______________