THE ARBITRATION COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 August 1921, Page 2

THE ARBITRATION COURT.

WOOLLEN WORKERS’ WAGES. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, August 24. The Arbitration Court to-day is considering the demands of the workers in the Otago woollen mills. Although the formal citation names the Otago mill-own-ers the is in effect for a Dominion award. Mr. Breen, for the union, said that though the application was for a new Dominion aWard it really, so far as wages were concerned, was an applicaton for the accumulated bonuses granted’ by the Court since September, 1919. The workers were deprived of these through their representatives signing an agreement in March, 1920, that, in consideration of an increase of 2d being made to males and 5 per cent, to females, the unions would not seek further increases until the expiration of the award, which came into operation on May 1, 1919, and expired on May 1, 1921. The union now asked for the same conditions for woollen workers that were enjoyed by other workers in the Dominion. The loss to the workers, through the agreement referred to, ran into many thousands of pounds. Other workers received 15s per week higher wages. That meant in the Roslyn mills alone £4680.