LABOUR TROUBLES.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 364, 10 April 1915, Page 12

LABOUR TROUBLES.

PREFERENCE TO UNIONISTS. Press Association. WELLINGTON, April 9. A meeting of the Conciliation Council was held to-day to endeavour to effect an agreement between employers and employees in the matter of the builders' labourers' dispute. Mr I*. Hally, Commissioner, presided. When the dispute was previously -before the council the recommendation sent forward left the point of wages and preference to unionists unsettled. The demands of the Builders' Labourers' Union arc for wages at the rate of .1/4 per hour. It is also asked that six hours should bo a day's work in wet places or in foul air. The recommendation contained a clause allowing special payments for country work. The council carried out its deliberations in committee, and at the conclusion announced that no further agreement had been arrived at. The Wellington drapers' assistants' dispute also came before the council. Practically, the only question at issue was that of preference. The existing preference clause provides that employers shall dismiss after one month, if requested to do so by the union, any nonunionist iu his employ if there is a unionist equally qualified to perform the work. The local uuion desired the same preference clause as that embodied in the Wauganui award, which makes it compulsory for non-unionists to join the union within seven days after being requested to do so by the secretary of the union,. The matter was discussed at some length without any agreement being arrived at, and eventually it was decided to hold a conference between representatives of the employers and employees. The condition was accepted that in the event of no agreement being reached on the preference clause the dispute should go to the Arbitration Court.