CONCILIATION BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2479, 18 September 1901, Page 23

CONCILIATION BOARD.

THE DREDGING DISPUTE

The Conciliation Board met in the yrprenir Court on Wednesday morning to fix the date pud place of liearing; of the dispute between dredge hai'ds and t! eir employers'. Mr F. R Chapman presided, and there were present Mejsrs G. P Farquhar, J. A. Park, P. Ilr.lly, and R. Fcrgvoc.

Mr J. H. Da T . idson (secretary of the union) appeared to represent that body, and Mr J. O. Thomson and Mr J. M. E. Garrow appeared to represent the Dredgeowners>' Association.

The following ref'-rei:c3 v.as filed by the vn:on :: — ■ 1. Eight hourb to be a lecogrused shut. 2. All work done over eight hours to cou.it as overtime, an^ be paid for at time and a-half.

3. Minimum wage. For open river and flat dredging in the Alexandra, C'jde, Ciomwell, Nevis, Clutha, Car^ro.^a, Shotover, Roxburgh, Miller's Flat, Beaumont, and Waipori districts, 10s per shift ; for motornien, sluicers, and roadmakers m above distnrts (steady employment), 93 per shift, casual employment 10s per shift; coalers m above districts, 10s per shift; for: dredgemen in the Lawrence, Waitahuna, Glenoie, Gore, Mataura. Charlton Creek, Wainiurnu, Waikaka, Shag River, and Kyebum districts, 9s per shift ; gorge claims (such as the Alexandra-Roxburgh, Clyde-Cromwell, and Kawarau gorges), 12s per shift.

4. A1!A 1 ! shifts to go round, .=o that e\ cry man get 3 his fair turn at day shift — namely, evary third weelc while dredging. If employers feel disposed to break this pimciple of simple justice, and require drodgemen to work alwtrvs on the 4 to 12 and 12 to 8 shifts, such work to be paid for at not less thai' 2s per shift 0.-er ordinary rates. X 5. All cadets to be paid half-wages while cadetmg. No cadet to work a shift unless he be paid full wages C. "Wages to be paid at not greater intervals than once per month. 7. Holidays.— Eight days' holiday on full pay :s asked for at Christmas, from "Christmas Day to New Year's Day inclusive ; or doublet rates for working on any of the following holidays —New Year's Day, January 2, Good Friday, E?ster Monday, May 2i, King's Buthday, Labour Day, and Christmas Day. 8. Sunday work to be paid 'for at double lates.

9. Unionists to have pieferenco ci emnlo«--nwr'..

Mr Garrow said that at a mooting of the Dredgeov/ners' Association, representing about 60 companies, it was c!ecided to ask that the .dispute be heard in Duuediu, and four of the Gore companies asked that if it could not be at Gore it should be in Dunedin

Mr Davidson, in reply to the chairman, said that the union 'had already asked that the dispute be heard at Alexandra. There could be no doubt that that was the best; place to hear it ; but if the other side had anything to say why it should not be heard there, he would be glad to hear them.

Tae Chairman said he had a letter from. Mr J. J. Bamsay, who had been appointed to r&pre-senfc a number of Southland companies, and he was in favour of the dispute being heard in Dunedin. Mr Garrow and Mr Thomson, who w ere representing the Dreelgeownera' Association and other companies, suggested that Dunedin was a, more rentral place to hear the dispute. Mr Davidson: Quite so : but if they represent all the companies, I apprehend Dunedin is no place to hear the dispute.

Mr Thomson remarked that the bulk of the companies had their headquarters in Dunedin.

Mr Da^ idson : Are the dredges in, Dunedin? Is. the gold down here?

Mr Thomson then said that they were going to make application for an adjournment, in older that the registration of the employer*' mron might be effected.

The Chairjn.'ii : We do not know how long that would take. Sometimes it takes a long time. Mr Thom-on repl>ed that there wa« 110 reason why it should trke more than about 10 day.*, and Mr Uarrow could communicate with tLc board aa soou ?■> rogi-tiaticn took place.

The Chairman said he d>d licit krou that the board could guide the time of heariivg by that. They mu-t fix n reasonable time, aad eomxjlete the hearing within a certain time, or their recommendation v, ould have no effect. Th? reference was filed on August 28.

Mr Davidson, 111 speaking in 'upport of liis contention, f aid that Alexandra was the backbone and centre of the dredging industry. It was aloo the home and cradle of the Dredgeowneis' Association, a body composed entirely of experienced dredging men. The union wished to be confronted by experienced men. Thoj^ had been battlinglor 01 rr 12 month-:, and they objected to be opposed by people vho might be good enough be-ide an ink bottle, but who had little knowledge of the practical bide ot dredging. He wanted a. fair thing for both parties Alexandra was the birthplace and headquarter-: of the dredging industry. The union would ha\e to bring e\idence down to Dunedin. and it would be necessary to have a number of dredgema.>ters as well as dredgemen.

Mr (iarrow v»id that the majority of the companies <ited had their offices 111 Dunctlin, and the majoiity of tho direr-tor-, who wei 1 " mi»*t chiectly interested as employee resided her" 1 .

Mr Da^ icUon iup's;e-ted that n wire should be sent to the -ecretaiy of the Dredoeowaeiv 1 Association at Alexandra. That body represented a number ot pivetual dredging men.

In reply to the Cliaiiman, 51 1 D.i\ id-on said tiiat tliPiv- were 300 menibei-- m the uniov. It the lopie'ontativeb of the employers would l^e prepared to answer a fp\v questions, to as to vi\e an indication a? to what extent they would rc-'^t tho lemaniU of the union, it might -.i^e tli<? calling of 1 number of wituet-e-: olheiwi-e it would probably be neop^jny to rail about 20 w itne-».e's. Tliete witne— r- would mostly belong to Alexandra.

The Chairman remarked : Would not the iiKom eiuence ot bringiva ftvay dieduen

masters be an inconvenience to the companies? Mr Davidson replied that it would if the dredgemasters had to leave their work and come to Dunedin. Mr Thomson could not see the necessity for bringing 20 dredgemasters to Dunedin. The Chairman: That it their affair, but the inconvenience will fall on the companies. Mr Davidson: It is infinitely easier for these companies to send to Alexandra than for me to be reluctantly compelled to bring the witnesses down here. The Chairman said that they were asking for the hearing lo take place in Dunedin at a cost of inconvenience to theni«el\e^ If they suffered inconvenience, it was tlitir own look-out. Mr Thomson: We accept the inconvenience. Mr Davidson then said that if it w?s dpcided to hear the dispute in Dunedin it would simply mean breaking the union up altogether. They had not the money to bring a lot of witnesses down to Dunedin Mr Thomson : Are we to be compelled to pay the expenses of our witnesses in dragging them up to Alexandra because »c are cited by the union? The Chairman : Which ever side brings ■witnesses has to pay for them. We have had cases such ac the tailoiesses." dispute, when witnesses weie brought from Christchurch. After some further discussion, the Ohiiruian intimated that the board would arrange matters as to allow parties to attend at con■venient places. It proposed to fi\ a day at Roxburgh to hear s>uoh evidence as may be tendered by any party; but would announce ft later date on which it would r.it at Dunedin to enable all paities to complete their evidence. Mr Thomson : Will the evidence taken at Roxburgh be available at Dunediu? The Chairman : We will take note?, which /Will be available for bot"> parties The hearing of the di-pnte wa« fi\ed for October 10.