CONCILIATION COUNCIL

Otago Witness, Issue 3275, 20 December 1916, Page 23

CONCILIATION COUNCIL

BUTCHERS' INDUSTRIAL DISPUTE. Mr J. R Triggs (Conciliation Commissioner) was occupied all day on Friday hearing the industrial dispute of the Dunedin and Suburban Operative Butchers' Union. The employers wero represented by W. W. Duke, Arthur Sherriff, and James Wright, and the employees by A. Riach, W. Green, and W. J. Murray. Mr R. Brcen conducted tho ca3o for the union, and Mr A. S. Cookson appeared for the employers. All the employers cited in the Southland district were struck out. A complete agreement was arrived at, and will in due course bo made into an award by the Arbitration Court. Tho hours of work on four days of the week were fixed at from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., or 7.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., the employers to have the choice of deciding which hours shall be worked. On one day of the week tho hour for commencing work shall not be earlier than 7 a.m., and for ceasing work not later than 1 p.m. If tho halfholiday decided by tho employers is on a Saturday thoy may keep open to 9 p.m. on Friday; if the half-holiday decided on is any other day, the employers may keep open to 6 p.m. on Saturday. There is practically little difference in the old hours. The wages arranged are on the basis of those ruling right throughout tho dominion. A first shopman or man in charge is to receive £3 15s per week; second shopman, £3 5s per week; first smallgoods-manj £3 15s per week; all other workers, including shopmen, smallgoods-mcn, carters in charge of hawking or order carts, and general hands, £3 per week; casual labour, Is 6d per hour; boys and youths under the age of 16, 15s, with an annual rise till the improver, as he is called, will receive £2 10s per week when ho is between 21 and 22 years of ago. The proportion of boys, youths, and improvers is to be one in every three men or fraction thereof. Any boy who has attended a course of instruction at tho Dunedin Technical School, and has passed the examinations, is to receive an additional sum beyond that named in the agreement. The

court's undcr-rato workers' clause and thfl preference clause are embodied. The aware is to remain in force from January 1, 1917, to July 1, 1918.

At the close of the conference a hearty vote of thanks was passed by the assessor? on both sides to Mr Trigga for the fair ant able manner in which ho had conducted th< proceedings.