INDUSTRIAL AFFAIRS

Otago Witness, Issue 3443, 9 March 1920, Page 25

INDUSTRIAL AFFAIRS

CHRISTCHUROH CLERKS' DISPUTE. CHRiSTCHURCH, March 3. The Arbitration Court dispute filed by the recently-formed Christchurch Clerks, Cashiers, and Office Employees' Union was; before the Arbitration. Court to-day. This is the first case . of the kind that has been before the court. The bank clerks who formed a. guild prior to the" dispute were exempted with the consent of Mr Martin, the union-representative. Mr Gresson, solicitor for the legal firms concerned, contended that no proper dispute was before the court, the employers not having been served by- the union with their claims, but merely cited to appear before the court. The union consented to the legal firms being struck out on this ground. A similar objection was put forward on behalf of a number of the industrial employers. After a discussion as to whether the dispute was properly before the court, the union agreed to withdraw the application and begin proceedings de . novo. TRAMWAY EMPLOYEES' BALLOT. , WELLINGTON, March 3. The result of the tramway employees' dominion ballot on the proposal for the settlement of the dispute resulted as follows: For the acceptance of proposals, 150; against, 1370. It is expected that negotiations will be reopened at an early date. WATERSIDE CONFERENCE. WELLINGTON, March 4. A conference between representatives of the Waterside Workers Federation and representatives of waterside labour employee opened here to-day. Mr J. G. Harkness was elected chairman. Information in regard to the proceedings is not given to the press except by a special committee appointed for the purpose. The committee has divulged nothing as yet. RAILWAYMEN'S WAGES, HJELSIDE EMPLOYEES' DEMANDS. At a meeting of the Hillside'Workshops employees, held at noon yesterday, the following resolutions were carried unanimously : " (1) As the Wages Board inquiry was conducted in public and open to the press, we demand that Mr Justice Stringer's report, which has been submitted to the Prime Minister, be made public immediately. (2) Seeing that the Prime Minister now has a report from the Wages Board, we demand an immediate statement as to what steps

Cabinet proposes to take to improve the pay and conditions of members of the service. We further pledge ourselves to sup-" port any action our executive may deem necessary to bring about an immediate settlement of our claims."

A further resolution was passed to the effect that a week was ample for consideration of the report, and that a reply should be made within that time.