CONCILATION COUNCIL.

Colonist, Volume LIII, Issue 13049, 8 March 1911, Page 5 (Supplement)

CONCILATION COUNCIL.

SITTING AT NELSON,

THE TAILORING TRADES CASE.

(From "The Colonist," Fob. 17.)

A sitting of the Conciliation Council was hold at the Courthouse yesterday to consider the claims of the Nelson Tailoring Trades Union. Mr P. Hally, Conciliation Commissioner, presided. Mr D. Morrison (Wellington) and Mr T. Harford (Nelson) acted as assessors for the employers, and Messrs P. A. JVluir (secretary of the Wellington Tailors' and Tailoresses' Union) and F. Wainscott (secretary of the Christclmrch Union) represented tlie employees.

Inter alia the Union asks for 48 hours of work a week, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on live days in the week, and irom 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, and that the minimum wages to be paid to journeymen tailors and pressers (other than piece workers) shall not bo less than £3 per week. The wages to he paid for female labour shall not be less than £1 15s per week for trousers, vest, and skirt hands. Female, machinists machining for more than 13 hands, if less, and tilling in time making trousers or vests, shall be paid not less than £] los per week. No deduction is to be made from this amount uave for time lost through the workers' own fault Overtime shall be paid as follows :— Weekly wage hands: Time and a quarter up to 10 p.m.; from 10 to 12 p.m. time and a half; double time from 12 p.m. to 5 a.m.; from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m., time and a quarter. Pieceworkers : 3d an hour extra up to 10 p.m.; 0d an hour extra from 10 p.m. to 12 p.m.; Is per hour extra from 12 p.m. to 5 a.m.; from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m., 3d per hour etra. Female pieceworkers to be paid two-thirds the rates payable to men; The following shall be tha recognised holidays: Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, the Sovereign's Birthday and all proclaimed holidays, and no deduction from tiie wages shall be made for these days. For work done on these days or on Sundays weekly wage har.ids shall bo paid double time and piece workers (male) Is Id per hour and (females) dd per hour The proportion of wage hands shall not be more than one to every four pieceworkers or fraction of four, two for evoiy eight, three for every twelve and so on. There shall be no distribution of work known as the "team system.' The period of apprenticeship shall bo: For males, 5 years • for females, 3 years. The number of apprentices, shall be limited to one to orcry four operatives or fraction thereof, and co on. Wages to be paid to iemale apprentices shall be 5s per week during the first four months, to be increased by 2s Gd per week at the expiration of every succeeding period or four calendar months during the firat year, and thereafter to be increased by a further payment of 2s bd per week at'the end of each succeeding period of six calendar months until tlie period of apprenticeship expires. Apprentices to machining to be on the same terms as above. Male apprentices to be paid at the following rates: For the first year, 5s a week; for the first six months of the sromid year, 8s per week; second six m<aiths, 10s; first six months of the third year, 12s G'd per week; second six mouths, los; first six months of fourth year, 17s 6d per week; sreond six months, £1; for first six month* of ntfcii year, £1 5 B per week; for second six months, £1 10s per week. Preference is to be given to members of tie Union. No female is to be taught the coat making and no female coat maker is to lie employed. Then follows a lengthy schedule of the rates to be paid piece workers. Between .!0 and 50 employers in the city, tlie Waimcas, Motuoka, Takaka and Celhngwood, have been cited by the Union. 11l reply to tlie Commissioner, the assessors stated that it was not intended to call any evidence. The Commissioner explained that the assessors would sit as experts, and go into the matters brought forward by the Union. But anything that was done would not be binding until embodied in an award; and if there was a failure to come, to an agreement the matter would go bofore the Arbitration Court. Some of the parties objected to being cited, and their objections were noted. The Assessors on both-sides stated that they were empowered to settle all matters. After consideration of the claims an agreement was como to that the wages be £2 15s a week for journeymen, with a provision that iio journeyman who was getting more than tihat sum should be reduced. Hours were fixed at 48 a week for males, and 4o for females. Overtime is to be paid for at time and a quarter to 10 p.m.; time and a half from 10 to 12 p.m.; double time after 12 p.m. • Piece workers to be paid 3d an hour extra to 10 p.m.; 6d from 10 to 12 p.m.; Is an hour extra, after 12 p.m. Women workers to receive two-thirds the rates of males, provided these are not lower than provided by tlie Factories Act. Boxing Day was struck "tit of tlie list of holidays, but Labour Pay was added; no deduction from wages is to be made in respect of any of these holidays. It was agreed that the number of apprentices be in tlu. proportion of 1 to 3; and that the proportion of weekly hands to piece workers be not higher than 1 to 4. The claims in respect of females being taught or employed in coat-mak-ing were, it is understood, not proceeded with. In regard to preference to unionists, it was agreed that an employer should ascertain whether the worker was a member of the Union. If not, the employer must gwe notice within seven days to the secretary to the union, and every non-unionist so employed must join tlie union within seven days. Every non-unionist employed in the trade on the date, of the award coming into operation shall become a member of the union. Noncompliance with any of the provisions shall constitute a breach of award. A representative of the. union is empowered to visit any factory for the purpose of collecting union moneys, but not more than once in two weeks, and then only by permission of the employer. * ' " Provision was made allowing chart orders to be taken so long as the articles were not sold as tailor-made goods. Consideration of the scale of charges for piece-work occupied the afternoon sitting, and the business was concluded at 4.30 p.m. Feb. 18, We understand that an agreement lias been arrived at with respect to the dispute in the Nelson tailoring trade, and that the agreement, which has been duly signed by the representatives of the. parties, will be forwarded to the Arbitration Court for the purpose of being converted into an award. Feb. 20, In connection with the claims mark; by the Nelson Tailoring Trades Union, and considered by the Conciliation Court and assessors, the following agreements, in addition to those already reported, were come to :—l. Bespoke Orders. —Clause C. All garments made or sold as tailor-made, or for which orders or measures are taken, or whether they are fitted on before or after completion, shall bo paid for according to the conditions, wages, and time statement of this award, and must be made in a registered factory of the employer and within the district covered by this award. 2. Chart Orders. —Th© condition of sub-clause C. shall not be deemed to apply to bona fide chart orders that are manufactured in any factory that manufactures in a wholesale way, for any bona fide town or country agent who indicates by door sign, window sign, or any other prominent notification that he sells factory-made chart orders.