PAINIERS AND DECORATORS' CONFERENCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3031, 17 April 1912, Page 5

PAINIERS AND DECORATORS' CONFERENCE.

The annual conference of the New Zea-'--.I Federated Painters and Decorators' Unions was coirtinued on the 9th inst at the iraucs jLmii. inu lpUowmg aio tnj man features of the executive report:—Sixteen meetings were held during the year. The better organisation of country districts had been kept steadily in view, and a union had been formed in the Taranaki industrial district, where ;io organisation existed, and where no award was in operation. An application had been filed with the Conciliation Commissioners, and three members of the executive were appointed to act as assessore on behalf of the union An agreement was arrived at, and although they had been unable to obtnin a higher minimum wage than Is 3d an hour, the genera! conditions were extremely satisfactory. Any work ii{*no more than three miles from the employer's place of businesg was classed ns country work, the Vages being fixed at not less than Is 4£d an hour. A preference Hause "'••* »*"*e rk d upon. The expenses incurred totalled £ls. An attempt was also buuig made to -torni a union in vVest.tnu. Copies of amending bills, introduced into Parliament, to the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act end the Workers' Compensation Act had been sent out to the various unions, a number of which expressed their opinion, and the presidont had attended the Labour Bills Committee and tendered evidence in accordance therewith. The question of paying the award rate to casual hands employed on the railways had been brought under the notice of the Minister of Railways. Instructions were issued, and the award rate was now being paid throughout the Dominion. }t was understood, however, that the overtime ciauses were not being fully complied with, and it might bo necessaiy to make further representations on this point. Appreciative reference was made to the late Mr S. V. Dyer, the first secretary of tho federation, and secretary of the Auckland Union. The Palmerston North Union having got somewhat out of touch with the executive, it was deemed advisable that a representative should visit that union, and tho president, Mr Reyling, was appointed to do so. Mr Key ling reported tliat the whole difficulty had arisen owing to the laxity of tho union secretary, who had now resigned, and it was believed that the union would enter upon a season of prosperity. Complaints had been received during the year from v,,.,..,u.i u.ui/.is in reie.eiu.-e 10 tne mmner in which the awavois were being enforced in tho different districts, and strong representations had been made by the executive io the Labour Department on the matter. In a case at Ciisborne, where the local inspector had reported that no breach had been committed he president of the executive interviewed the head of the Labour Department, with the result that a conviction was obtained and a fin-j inflicted. The executive had also deemed it advisable, in one case reported at Auckland, to got u question asked in Parliament, in order, if possible, to force the department to take action. Copies of demands for new awards had been submitted to the executive by tho Napier, Christchurch, Palmerston North, and Dunedin unions. These had been considered 1 <ind improvements had been offered. It was regretted that, in some in- j stances, the demands differed greatly fram the model award drawn up by the fed ru- , tion, and the opinion was expressed that any suggestions invited from them should bo received by tho unions before tlte demands were printed for presentat on to the employers. Mr W. Rrodrick had been appointed to reprosent the federation at j tho conference in Wellington to consider j tho unity proposals. In reference to the power exercised by the judge of the Arbi- j tration Court, he being allowed to alter i agreements arrived at and 1 signed by both parties, the opinion was expressed that strong representation should be made to the proper authorities in order to obtain an amendment of the law, so that agreements once signed by both parties should be made into awards without any alteration. The .Southland Union had been approached, and had intimated its intention of becoming affiliated as from January 1, 19.12 Some of the unions wero not complying with the rules of the federation :n respect to the taking in of new members and the issuing of clearance cards, and complaints had lx>eii received of union secretaries accepting members without clearance cards when they wore aware of the fact that such persons were members of another union and indebted to it. The practice, also, of giving clearance cards to membra instead of sending them to tho secretary at the place to which the member was going should bo stopped, as it was distinctly against the rules. Both were matters of vital importance, and tho best intercoms of tho federation would suffer arreatly

| unless affiliated unions worked together hatI moniously and carried out tho rules in a proper spirit. Tite balance sheet showed assets £66 8s 7d, liabilities nil. Tho receipts totalled £lO4 "3s 6d; £23 6s 3d was transferred to the Representation Fund, and after allowing for other expenses there was a bank balance of £3B Is lOd. The total amount of the Representation Fund was stated to be £53 8s 7<r. The sitting yesterday commerced with tho consideration of Professor Mills's unity scheme. The proposals were fully dealt with, and it was decided 1 to ai.Trm the principle. The question of a Dominion award was then brought forward, and consideration was given to the form it should take. Tile matter was still under discussion when the conference rose at 5 o'clock, and tho discussion will be resumed to-day. The conference of the Painters and Decorators' Unions was continued all day on the 10th inst., the delegates sitting at 9 a.m. A set of claims for a Dominion award was drafted, tho terms of which will have to be ratified by the unions before anything else can be done in order that looal conditions may be considered. A number of suggested amendments to the Conciliation and Arbitration Act were considered, and it was decided to present them to Parliament, with a view to having the act amended in the directions indicated. A number of amendments in the constitution of the federation vvas also deeded on. The annual conference of the New Zealand Federated Painters a«d Decorators' Unions was brought to a close on the 11th inst. The deliberations at the meeting wero mainly with regard to a general awa.rd, and finally a model award was drafted, which shall apply to the whole Dominion as soon as the present ones expire. It was resolved that the next conference bo held in Napier, and that during the next three years the managing executive shall meet in Wellington for the transaction of business. On Wednesday evening tho local union- I entertained the visiting delegates at a " smoke " concert in Smith's Hall, Hanover | street. Mr R. J. Walls (president of tho I lcc«l union) >---<vi'''-' J -n<l extended a hearty welcome to the visitors.