QUESTION OF WAGES

Taranaki Daily News, 20 December 1932, Page 12

QUESTION OF WAGES

NEW PLYMOUTH CONCILIATION. BOROUGH- GENERAL LABOURERS. "An adjournment until January 16 to allow the question of wages to be considered by both parties resulted from the Conciliation Council sitting at New Plymouth yesterday to hear a dispute between the New Plymouth Borough Council and the New Plymouth General Labourers’ Union of Workers. Mr. W. Newton, conciliation commissioner, presided, and the assessors were: For the council, Messrs J. Brown, R. W. D. Robertson, F. J. Hill and C. Clark, with Mr. Vai Duff .as agent; and for the union Messrs J. Wafer, F. Hill, S. H. Norris and R. Weston, With Mr. R. Fulton as agent. ;

The sitting was the result of an application by the Borough Council for a new award to replace the present one, which has been in operation since 1926. Only the two parties were concerned. Consideration of the wages clauses, tunnel work, preference and provision for a disputes committee was deferred, while other clauses were discussed, and agreements. were subsequently reached on them. The assessors for the union retired while the council assessors considered the position, and on resuming Mr. Duff said he regretted that at this juncture they were not in a position to make any advance in the schedule of wages they had submitted. He suggested that the council adjourn until after the recess and, while not making any- promise of an advance in the present offer in regard to wages, the council assessors would be agreeable to whatever agreement was arrived at then being made retrospective to January 1. The Commissioner pointed out that the present award would have, to be carried out until superseded. In that case, said Mr. Duff, it had better lapse. Unless an agreement was reached at the adjournment the award would Japse one month after that date, said the Commissioner. The council adjourned until the middle of January, and the Commissioner expressed the hope that in the meantime the parties would be able to. come together on proposals which would be acceptable to both sides. He was sorry they had not been able to reach finality on this occasion. Thanks were extended to the Commissioner for the impartial manner in which he had presided. With respect to wages the council offered the following rates of pay, those ruling under the old award and which are subject to a 10 per cent, reduction being quoted in parentheses:— (a) Labourers engaged on actual construction and scaffolds, Is Gid per hour (2s).

(b) Labourers assisting in erection or demolition of scaffolds or buildings, Is 6id per hour (Is lid). (c) Tunnel men and timber men, Is 7d per hour (2s 2d). (d) Hammer and drill barring down machine men and shot firers, Is 7d (2s 2d). !

(e) Workers substantially loading sin. stone or stones of greater size, Is 7d per hour (2s); when loading in and from water, Is (2s Id); crusher feeder, 1S 61d per hour (2s); workers engaged in spreading metal, Is per hour (2s).

(f) Workers working in wet places, Is 7d. per hour (2s Id). Cg) Tar boiler, prior to 7.30 a.m., Is 7d per hour (2s other tar workers, Is 7d pfer hour (2s), (h) General labourers, including draining, kerbing, channelling, sewerage work and rubbish tip men, Is GJd per hour (Is lid).

(i) Sanitary tip men, Is 7d per hour (2s Id). (j) Cement workers, Is 7d p6r hour (2s).