SUGAR STRIKE DECLARED OFF

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15321, 17 September 1920, Page 7

SUGAR STRIKE DECLARED OFF

RESUMING WOHIv ON MONDAY. AUCKLAND, last night. ! The award of the Arbitration Court m the sugar workers' dispute was filed this afternoon. The award provide.* that 4-i j hours shall constitute a week-: work. Shift men shall Work m eight-hour shift-:, 1 except on Saturday--, when they snail' work four hours. The minimum weekly , wage is £4, with certain increases for ; higher grades. Under the heading "No' discrimination, " the award says: "The • employer, m engaging or dismissing ! workers, shall not. discriminate against members of the union, nor do anything for the purpose of injuring the union, provided that nothing m this award shall interfere with tlie right of the employer to discharge any worker for misconduct." Overtime is to be paid for at the rate of time and a half for the first three hours and thereafter at double lime. The award comes into force to-morrow, and remains m operation for six months. In a memorandum attached the Court refers to tlie claim for specil consideration by ihe workers on account of the character of the work. The Court came to the conclusion that, except m some of the higher' grades or work which might reasonably be classed as semi-skilled work, it generally appears to be unskilled, and a great portion of it ordinary laborerswork of the simplest kind. In those circumstances the Court saw no justification for fixing the minimum remuneration of the lowest grade of workers m the factory at a higher rate than that already fixed, after careful consideration In the award,- dealing with different industries throughout New Zealand and covering workers of a similar class. Hearing iii mind the fact that the company was under contract with the Government ''to supply a certain amount of sugar which would require 'the factory to work full time, the Court had grave doubts about reducing the hours from 48 to 44. However, the union representative had assured •the Court that shortened hours would not result m a diminution of output. The Court was not satisfied that it had been fully informed of the nature and conditions of the work, and therefore had fixed the period of the award at six months, so that, if thought advisble by either of the parties, it could he reviewed. In the course of the award the Court referred to the fact that it had been arranged that the Court should see the refinery at work, but that was impossible as the men had seen fit to go out on strike m the meantime.

The Sugar Workers* Union considered the award of the Arbitration Court tonight, and, after a protracted discussion decided to declare the strike oft and to return to work m a body on Monday — Press Assn.