PROPOSALS OPPOSED

Southland Times, Issue 21772, 29 July 1932, Page 4

PROPOSALS OPPOSED

EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN. ENGINEERING TRADE. (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, July 28. At a largely-attended meeting of the Amalgamated Engineers and Allied Trades Union, the opinion was expressed that the proposals of the employers in the present dispute were unjust. The employers propose that female workers may be employed under the conditions laid down for male workers, subject to the following special conditions—the hours of work shall be 44 per week; a recess period of ten minutes to be allowed and paid for during every morning and afternoon; women shall not be employed on night shift work; and the operations upon which female labour may be used includes examining, light drilling, light rivetting, tapping and screwing, light milling and grinding light lathe work, light press work, assembling, soldering, etc.; the wages to be those prescribed in the Factories Act. Wages shall be paid weekly, but subject to the _ provisions of the Factories Act relating to deductions from wages, and only time worked shall be paid for.

The meeting took strong exception to the introduction of women into skilled production, such as lathe work. For this class of work men would receive 1/8 per hour, while women would start at 10/- per week, and receive 5/- increase every twelve months until they reach 30/per week, after which they are to receive no further increase. A resolution was carried to refer the present engineers’ dispute to the Conciliation Council for settlement. Matters in connection with motor mechanics, who are under a separate award, were also referred to the Conciliation Council for settlement.