LABOUR MATTERS.

Southland Times, Issue 16685, 15 March 1911, Page 6

LABOUR MATTERS.

ANOTHER STRIKE. VESSELS STUCK UP AT SYDNEY, (By Telegraph.—Preot Association.— Copyright.) SYDNEY, March 14. Received March 14. 3.5 p.m. A strike of fifty casual hands em-ployed-as capstan men at the Railway Department’s wheat loading sidings at Darling Island has caused complete stoppage of the wor... Altogether ov r eight hundred employees are affected. The strikers demanded an increase of pay, and the Depar- lent conceded this as far as day work was concer ed, but refused the ful' increase asked for night work. Several vessels are stuck up. DEMANDS CONCEDED. SYDNEY, March 14Received March 14, 9.55 p.m. The strike was declared off late this afternoon, when the men’s demands were conceded. The wharf labourers then declined to work for the remainder of a broken day. and operations were suspended till the morning. The demands granted were: Increase of 7/G to 8/- a day of eight hours; increase of 1/- to 1/6 an hour overtime. The men had been restless for an increase since a fortnight ago, when one of their number was killed, and they are using this as an argument as to the danger of working the electric capstans, which replace the shunting engines. All the strikers are non-unionists. BROKEN HILL BONERS. SYDNEY, March 14. Received March 14, 9.55 p.m. Broken Hill engine drivers and firemen held .a meeting and decided by a show of hands to adopt drastic measures unless one of the drivers wiio had been dismissed was reinstated. An amendment in favour of a secret ballot was afterwards carried. This . was taken and resulted in a reversal of the open vote. THE IMPLEMENT STRIKERS. MELBOURNE, March 14. Received March 14, 9.55 p.m. The implement strikers are dissatisfied with the manner in which the unions are responding to the appeal for financial assistance. It is stated that many unions have not contributed. FOB THE GOOD OF SAILORS. SYDNEY. March 14. Received March 15, 1.17 a.m. Mr Carmichael has beem investigating the manner i:i which visiting sailors are fleeced, and has dete.mim ’ i a better police supervision of shipping offices and the establishment of a sailors’ savings bank. THE FEDERATED TAILOBESSES. (Special to the “Times.”) ‘ DUNEDIN, March 14. The Hon. J. T. Paul, who has just returned from a visit to Auckland, expresses himself well pleased with the results of his visit in connection with the strengthening of the branches of the New Zealand Federated Tailorcsses’ Association. Mr Paul will make a return visit to Auckland next week, when ho will officially represent the Federation at the twenty-first anniversary of the formation of the Auckland Tailoresses’ Union. He will also appear before the Arbitration Court in Auckland in support of the Federation’s application to incorporate Schedule B, relating to the manufacture of ladies’ costumes, and bringing the workers engaged in that class of work under an award of the Court. This application has been made in Dunedin and is being made in turn in each of the centres, after which the Court will give judgment. A QUESTION OF HOURS. AN IMPORTANT RULING. (Per United Press Association). WELLINGTON. March 14. A reserved judgment of interest to employers and assistants was given by Mr W. G. Riddell, S.M., to-day. It was in a test case brought by the Inspector of Factories (Mr A. E. LeCren) against James Rod and Co., butchers, charging defendants with breach of the Shops and Offices ..ct in that they had employed an assistant more than nine hours, excluding meal times, on more than one working day in each week. The facts were admitted. On 12th and 13th February an assistant worked more than ttie statutory nine hours. Under the Wellington Operative Butchers’ award, which came into operation on 20th January, 190S, the hours of work must not exceed 56 in any one week. “The award makes no reference,” said his Worship, “to the provisions of the Shops and Offices Act, 1904; bu_ it is obvious that, as butchers’ assistants are shop assistants as defined by that Act. its provisions apply. Section 4 o' the Act, 1904. was in force at the time the award was made, and it corresponds to s Lon 6 of the Shops and Offices Act, 1908. Subsection 4 of section 4 of the Act of 4904 states that this section shall operate subject to the provisions of this Act, and to any war' 1 " the Court of Arbitration. Sub-section 1 (b) of section 4, also states that shop assistants shall not be employed in or about the shop or its business for more than nine hours, excluding meal times, in any one day, except on one day in each week, when employment may be for eleven hclirs, excluding meal times. By sub-section 1 of section 91 of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1908 (Consolidated Statutes) any award in force on the coming into operation of that Act shall, notwithstanding the expiration of the currency of such award, continue in force until a new award lias been made under the Act, except where, pursuant to section 21 and 22, registration of an industrial union of workers bound by such award has been cancelled. The position when the butchers award came into existence was that section G of the Shops and Offices Act applied to shop assistants, subject to the provisions of the award, and at its expiration on 31st March, 1910, that position war unaltered on 3rd December, 1910. The Shops and Offices Amendment Act, 1910, repealed sub-section 4 of section 6 of the Shops and Offices Act. 1908. and left section 2 free from the effect of any award. The result In His Worship’s opinion, was that immediately the statute was passed all expired awards which were subsisting and retaining their original force by virtue of section 74 of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Act. 190 S. were affected. “I am not prepared." added His Worship, “to accept defending counsel’s (Mr Herdman’s) argument that the repeal of sub-section 4 of section 6 of the Shops and Offices Act, 1908, had no effect when awards had expired but bad not been renewed before December, 1910. f think that immediately the sub-section was repealed the provisions of section 6 must bo regarded as unaffected by the terms of any award, whether expired or not, unless provided for in any statute.”

Defendant was convicted and fined ss, with Court costs. Security for appeal was fixed at £7 7s. Pending the result of the appeal, cases against the following are held over: E. Barber and Co., Garrett and Co., Gear Meat Co., WaJngawa Meat Co. THE MUTES COMMISSION. WEST COAST OBJECTIONS. BEEFTON, March 11. Tnangahua Miners' Union at a general meeting strongly protested against the inclusion of the two Labour members appointed on the Royal Commission on sanitation and ventilation of mines and requested the Government that the appointment be cancelled, substituting the names of Parry and Dowgray, for Betts and Fulton. The resolution says that the Miners’ Federation members will not tender evidence be Coro the Commission. NEED OP WOBKEBS. AN AUCKLAND EFFORT. AUCKLAND, March 14. The shortage of labour to carry out work offering in Auckland was again emphasised at a meeting of the Auckland Industrial Association to-day. The secretary read a letter which he had written to the Prime Minister on the subject. It stated that work was offering for over 400 females and about 100 males in Auckland, and asked the Prime Minister to ascertain during his visit to

England whether the workers required here are available at Home and whether any scheme could be evolved which would place such workers within the reach of the work waiting for them here. The greatest demand here was for women engaged in the manufacture of clothing, etc. The letter went on to say that there was also a great dearth of boy and girl labour. In reply, Sir Joseph stated that lie had noted the Association’s representations and that if opportunity occurred during his stay in England to make enquiries in the direction indicated lie would be glad to do so. Mr B. Buttle (President of the Association) said there were about 500 vacancies in Auckland trade. He thought it was siife to say that there were between 2000 and 3000 vacancies in New Zealand factories.