ARBITRATION COURT

Southland Times, Issue 19654, 3 October 1922, Page 6

ARBITRATION COURT

BAKERS’ AND PASTRYCOOKS’ AWARD. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, October 2. I The Arbitration Court has issued the bakers’ and pastrycooks’ award, which is on a Dominion basis, except on Idle holiday question, which is subject to local requirements. The hours were fixed at 46 per week, as the Court believes that 44 hours in most cases is insufficient for the amount of work to be done. The Court has omitted the former restriction- of the number of labourers and junior labourers being of the opinion that the nature of the work exercises an automatic restriction. The commencing age for such was fixed at 18 to encourage apprenticeship. Overtime is standardised, time and a quarter being allowed for the first two hours, and time, and a half for the second two hours, and double time thereafter. Overtime is to be payable on wages plus bonuses. Females other than journeymen arc permitted to perform certain skilled work at twothirds of the journeymen’s rate. Tea rooms which do not sell baiters’ or pastrycooks’ goods for consumption oil the premises are excluded from the award. Home-made-cake shops not employing journeymen are also excluded, as the Court considers that they should have a separate award. Work is not to start before 4 a.m. except on Saturdays or days preceding public holidays, when a start can be made one hour earlier; and before double and triple holidays two and three hours ear-. Her. If country deliveries are made, work starts at 3 a.m. A special hours clause is included for bakeries in small towns, and for pastrycooks whose day normally begins at Ga.m. It provides for the following rate of wages: Foreman, £5 3s; journeymen, £4 13s; labourers, £3 19s; apprentices, £1 7s 6d to £3 ss. The award operates as from October 9, and extends for two years. TYPOGRAPHICAL DISPUTE. WELLINGTON, October 2. The hearing of the typographical dispute has commenced in the Arbitration Court. The object of the proceedings is to secure if possible a Dominion award. Mr F. Pirani, on behalf of the Wellington newspaper proprietors, expressed regret that the Typographical Union had not agreed to hold a conference except under the condition that the employers must first concede a basic wage of £5 10s for compositors as against the existing wage of £4 "is 3d and a bonus of 9/-. The employers’ representatives were prepared to meet the other side in- a reasonable manner. They were willing to give the existing wages with bonus increases as they occurred, and allow the whole matter to stand on that basis for the present. The trade could not stand any further increases in pay or reduction of hours. Regarding linotype operators, the employers desired to have an hourly rate of pay fixed so that those who wished to do so might give the system a trial. Mr Pirani said he would not call evidence. Mr C. H. Chapman, for the typographical section of the employers, said experience had shown that a weekly rate was advantageous to employers and workers alike. The union had asked in vain for reasons for the proposed change, and in the absence of reasons the workers were strongly against hourly rates. Mr Chapman said the employers’ proposal for a rate of 2/ an hour in cities and 1/11 in other towns, compared with the present wage of £5 8s a week and upwards, was ridiculous taking into account the wages paid to case hands, the scarcity of skilled operators, and the prosperous state of the printing trade. Ten per cent, extra for night work was proposed as at present, but the union claimed that night workers should get 20 per cent, extra. Piecework in New Zealand was the lowest paid in the world. New Zealand operators on piece sometimes made £7 to £8 weekly. In Australia for similar work the wages would be £lO to £l2. The hours were fixed in 1900 at 42 per week and there had been no improvement since. Now the employers proposed an increase to 45. The union hoped the Court would be more inclined to decrease hours. One witness, an employee at the Government Printery, said he considered the general conditions of the trade detrimental to health, and said that the bright metal used with monotypes was very harmful to the eyesight. Another member of the Government Printery staff expressed the opinion that monotypists should be paid more than linotypists. A third witness gave evidence to the effect that there should not be a differentiation in pay according to the size of the town. The case will proceed to-morow.