SOUTHLAND SAWMILL WORKERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3015, 27 December 1911, Page 13

SOUTHLAND SAWMILL WORKERS.

THE UNION'S DEMANDS. The Southland Trmberyards and Sawmillers' Union of Workers, which has been moving for some time past in .the direction of obtaining a new award, and having failed after several conferences to arrive at a satisfactory adjustment of the position with the employers,' has hied a reference with the Clerk of Awards at Dunedin. The dispute will now come before the Conciliation Commissioner at Invercargill on January 11 There is a considerable difference in the demands of the workers as compared with the conditions under the old award. In respect of overtime rates the men demand that overtime shall be paid for at the rate of time and a-half tor all time worked after eight hours on any particular day. The former rate was time and a-quarter for such time. The following clause is inserted as regards preference -to unionists : —" Employers shall employ members of the union in preference to non-members, .providing they are equally competent to perform the work required to be done. Each applicant for employment who, while professing to be a unionist, fails to produce his contribution book, shall in regard to preference be treated as a non-unionist. Any employer who shall hereafter engage a worker in this industry who is not a member of the * union and who within one week of his 'being'engaged fails to become and remain a member of the union, shall dismiss such worker if called upon to do so by the union, providing that in such case the union'shall provide a man equally qualified to perform the work required to bo done. This provision shall also apply to those aJready employed." A new clause deals with providing accommodation for workers at the mills. The clause reads as follows:—" Proper and sufficient accommodation shall be provided for all workers at the mills No accommodation shall be deemed to be adequate unless every room in whioh sawmill workers are to be accommodated contains at least 240 cubio feet of air space for every person to be so accommodated, and each room shall be properly lined and contain a fireplace. All sawmills shall be equipped with an ambulance chest containing lint, bandages SD-linits, and antiseptics, and a printed card of instructions how to proceed in dealing with the more common and serious acoiEoUowing is the list of the minimum watres demanded, "the present rates being e-iven in parentheses:—Breast bench sawyer who keeps two saws and top saw, 12s per dav (10s); same, who keeps one saw, lis (10s)' big 1 bench sawyer who keeps bottom

and top saws, 10s 6d (9s 6d); breast bench tailor-out, 10s (9s); big bench tailer-out, 9s;' first-class machinist, who makes his own knives and irons, lis (10s); second-clas s machinist, who does not make knives and irons, 10s (9s) ; first-class certificated engine driver, 10s (10s); same, second-class, 9s (9s); hauling engine driver, 9s (9s); qualified drivers of locomotives. 10s; bushmen, 10s (9s); shoemen, 10s 6d (9s); stokers and brakesmen, 9s; trolly men and wagoners, up to four horses (to bs full time), £3 per week; same, over four horses (full time), £3 3s per week; blacksmiths, 10s per day;, tramwaymen, slabmen. yardworkers, 9s (8s); bovs 14 years of age, 3s 6d per day (an advance of Is per dav to be made for every year over 14); tallymen (full time), £3 per week; bullock drivers, 10s per day (£lO per month).