PAINTERS AND DECORATORS

Otago Witness, Issue 3782, 7 September 1926, Page 80

PAINTERS AND DECORATORS

DOMINION* AWARD SOUGHT. CHRISTCHURCH, August 31. The Arbitration Court sat to-day to hear an application for a Dominion award by the New Zealand Federated Painters and Decorators’ Industrial Union of Workers. The union asked that the hours of work should not be more than eight hours per day on five working days of the week, which shall be from 8 a.m. till 5 p.m., and four hours on Saturday—from 8 a.m. till noon. It was asked that journeymen and apprentices should be allowed five minutes before ceasing work at dinnertime and when ceasing work for the day for the purpose of washing. With regard to country work, it was asked that when such work was situ.ated less than 50 miles from the employer’s place of business the worker should be refunded his return railway fare to and from his place of engagement once every four weeks during the continuance of the work. The minimum rates asked were for all journeymen painters, paperhangers, glaziers, grainers, signwriters, decorators, leadlight workers, and all other journeymen working in any branch of the trade, except those specially provided for, not less than 2s 9d per hour on all jobs. The worker responsible for parrying out tbe work and giving instructions to the workers should be paid not less than Is 6d per day extra. Mr C. G. Wilkin applied for exemption from the award for the freezing companies, stating that such companies did not compete with master painters in outside work. Mr F. Cornwell opposed the granting of exemptions, stating that painters employed by the factories did a certain amount of work which should be done by members of the union. His Honor said that it was obvious that such men would have to be employed on odd jobs when there was not sufficient painting to keep them going. It could not be expected that such men should join about 25 unions, because they did 25 different classes of w 7 ork. It w r as natural that the employers should use them. Mr Prime, in opening the case for the employers, said that with regard to the claim of the men for five minutes off twice a day to wash themselves, that Ruch a claim was utterly ridiculous and childish; It would involve the employers iu a. cost of £5 7s 3d per man per year, simply that they might wash themselves. There were 13 affiliated unions concerned in the proposal, with a total membership of 1547; not taking into account painters living in Taranaki, Marlborough, and Westland; The total coßt to the employers would be £8295 158 Od per year. He submitted that the workers had failed to produce any evidence to show that conditions had changed in the trade during the past two years, in consequence of which lie contended that the award last made should stand. The court reserved its decision.