RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE BOARD.

Colonist, Volume XLVII, Issue 11486, 13 November 1905, Page 2 (Supplement)

RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE BOARD.

"slt will be remembered that when the above-named industrial dispute was placed before the Board of Conciliation on September £27tb, that body adjourned the hearing to Collingwood, it being the nearest township to the mine's locality. On Thursday, Oct 26th, the Board commenced its sittings at tec o'clock in the morning. On Saturday, the 286h, the members of the Board proceeded to Puponga and inspected the workings of the mine, with;; a view to better understand the matters mentioned in tne Workers' reference, and the Company's counter reference. The Board gave the two parties ample time for a conference, at which a mutual agreement was arrived at on many of the points in the references. On Monday, October 30th, at nine o'clock a.m., the Board proceeded to hear evidence, amended references having been placed before 1 them by Mr Allan, the Company's representative, and Mr John Foster (of Denniston)," the Workers' representative. The Board sat in the morning, afternoon, and evening, until tbe evidence was finished, at 5.30 p.m. on November 2nd. Since their return to Nelson tbe members of the Board have been considering their recommendations to form an industrial agreement between the two parties. We learn that the board filed their recommendations (signed by Mr Walter Hill, the Chairman) yesterday afternoon, with the Clerk of Awards (Mr Kelling), and they provide—

HEWING RATES.

That the tonnage rates be three shillings per ton, single shift, and three shillings and threepence double shift. Provided that anything^ that cannot be filled away as coal in the trucks shall be paid for on the followmg^scale: for the 'first 'thrde inches, one penny per ton; and one farthing per ton, per inch, afterwards.

DEFICIENT PLACES.

That places in the mine where there are more than thirty-three and one-third per cent of stone shall be deemed to be deficient places, aud shall be worked on shift wages.

MINERS' SHIFT WAGES.

That shift wages for miners hewing coal shall be eleven shillings and sixpence per day ; and for special work and working in wet places twelve shillings per day.

SATURDAY'S WORK.

That the Union's demandfthat six hour 3 shall be considered a day's worK for Saturday be disallowed.

LONG WALL SYSTEM.

That the Board is unable to fix any tonnßge rate for working the mine on the Long Wall system, it being a change to that hitherto adopted, the witnesses gave very little information-respecting same of any value to assist the Board, consequently the Board recommend that the system be given a trial for three months on ordinary shift wages, lls Gd per day. On the expiration of the three months, if the officers of the Company and the Union cannot mutually agree tc a tonnage rate based upou the results of the trial of the system, then the matter shall be referred to the Board of Conciliation for settlement.

WORKMEN'S SHIFT WAGES

That the^f olio wing rates of pay he given to shift workmen — Blacksmith's strikers, Ss Gd per shift; engine driver, first class, winding, lls: engine driver, second class, haulage, 10s; truckers, 9s Gd; platelayer, 9s: carpenter, lls; timbermen, 93; roadsmen, 10s 6d ; surface laborers, Ss 6d; miners, ordinary" shift work, Ils6d; miners, special work and wet places, 12s.

PAY DAY. * Regarding pay day, the following was agreed 'to, and signed by both parties: — That on the 31st day of each month au advance snail be made to every man equal to the amount earned by him on to the 15th day of the same month, and on the 15th day of the subsequent month tbe balance of tbe wages due for the previous month shall be paid.

PREFERENCE

The Board, we are informed, have givea preference to Unionists on the same lines as those laid down by the Arbitration Court in its most recent awards.

The Board has fixed the term the industrial agreement shall be in force at twelve months.

The Board expresses a sincere hope M that the information elicited during the investigation will prove useful to the Company, and that the seventy workmen (forty-fire miners and twenty-five surfacemen) will lend their assistance to aid the development of the important coal measures in the Puponga district. The Board were pleased that the two parties mutually agreed to so many clauses in the References, and they sincerely hope the fighting out of the contested clauses will leave no sting or irritation, and that the Board's efforts to arrye at a just decision will be recognised by both parties."