INDUSTRIAL AFFAIRS

Otago Witness, Issue 3442, 2 March 1920, Page 52

INDUSTRIAL AFFAIRS

COFFINS AND CABINETS.

WELLINGTON, February .23. The court to-day heard argument in the dispute between the Federated Cooks and stewards' Union and the'Union Steamship Company. It was stated that the real matters' at issue were wages and hours. It was eventually decided that the dispute be adjourned to Chr:stchurch lor February 26. It was stated in the Arbitration Court to-day that a Dominion Conference of the engineering trade is to be. held this week in Wellington with a view to obtaining an agreement in all branches of the industry covering the different unions concerned throughout the dominion. Discussion arose in the Arbitration Court to-day as to whether a coffin is a cabinet and coffin-making is cabinet-making, and, incidentally, whether undertakers who specialise in coffins should be included as parties to the furniture trades award. An undertaker ap'plied for exemption from the award, but his Honor Mr Justice Stringer would not accept the argument, and said that as long as the applicant claimed to be a cabinetmaker he must be a party to the award. CANTERBURY FREEZING WORKERS. CHRISTCHUROH, February 25. It is authoritatively stated .that the position in regard to the dispute between the Freezing Works and Allied Trades' Federation and the employers remains unaltered. The men are accepting the new rates of pay, based on the Auckland rates, which the employers offered them, but neither the official acceptance nor the rejection of the employers' terms has been received from the union There is no "go-slow" policy in operation.