CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LX, Issue 143765, 13 April 1912, Page 7

CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

SITTING AT NEW PLYMOUTH. GENERAL LABOURERS’ DISPUTE. The sitting of the Conciliation Court to hear the dispute of the New Plymouth General Labourers’ Union was concluded in the Borough Council Chambers this morning. Mr. T, Harlo Giles, Conciliation Commissioner for the Northern and Taranaki Industrial District, presided, and Air. Grenfell, secretary of the Employers’ Association, Wellington, appeared for the employers. The union was not represented. The assessors were: for the union, Messrs. M. J. Reardon and E. Kennedy, of Wellington, and G. E. Roper, of Now Plymouth; and for the employers, Messrs. W. F. Brooking, James Clarke, and F. Grayling, ail of New Plymouth. The assessors failed to come to an agreement 1 with regard to wages, preference, strikes, and the term of the award, which clauses will be submitted to the Arbitration Court. With regard to the other clauses in the award, the following arc the recommendations ; HOURS'OF WORK. (a) A full week’s work shall consist of forty-seven hours. The ordinary working hours shall he between 7.30 a.m. and 5 p.m., except on Saturdays, when the hours of work shall bo between 7.30 a.m. and 12 noon, the special time for beginning and leaving off work to be fixed by the employer to suit his particular business. (b) Where, it is necessary to prepare material or work before the ordinary hours of commencing work, the employers may employ workers to do such necessary work, for not more than half an hour before the ordinary time of commencing work, and in such cases only the ordinary rates of pay shall be paid for the time so worked. (c) In tunnel work the time shall not exceed eight hours per shift, with half an hour for crib time. In connection with tunnel work, six hours shall constitute a day’s work when workers are working in wet places or foul air. A “wet” place shall mean a place where workers have to stand in water over ordinary boot tops, or where water is dripping on them. (d) The New Plymouth Borough Council are exempt from the provisions of the overtime clause of this award so far as it relates to men who are engaged in sweeping and clearing the streets. But such men shall be entitled to overtime rates when the ordinary hours fixed for each day have been worked. OVERTIME. (a) All time worked outside or in excess of the hours mentioned in clause 1 shall count as overtime, and shall be paid for at the rate of time and a quarter for the first two hours, time and a half thereafter up to 10 p.m., and double time between 10 p.m. and the ordinary time for commencing work next morning if worked continuously. (b) AVorkmcn required to commence work between the hours of 6 a.m. and die ordinary time of commencing work shall bo. paid, at the rate of time and a quarter for" such time. HOLIDAYS. The following shall be the recognised holidays: New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. Work done on Sunday, Good Friday and Christmas Day shall he paid for at the rate of double time. Work done on other holidays shall be paid for at the rate of time and a halt. YOUTHS. (a) Youths may bo employed at not less than, the following rates of wages: Up to 17 years of age 18s per week: up to 18 years of age £l 2s per week: up to 19 years of age £1 6s per week; up to 20 years of ago £1 10s per week: up to 21 years of ago £1 16s per week. (b) The proportion of youths shall not bo more than one to every five or fraction of five men employed. SUBURBAN AND COUNTRY WORK. (a) Workers employed shall be at the place where the work is to bo performed at the time appointed for the commencement of work: and any workers engaged to perform work more than two miles from the Chief Rost Office shall be paid for the time reasonably occupied by them in walking to and from such work beyond two miles, or they may be conveyed to and from such work at the cost of their employers, but no worker .residing lees than two miles by a convenient mode of access for foot passengers from the place where the work is to be performed shall be entitled bo the allowance mentioned in this clause. All time walked shall be allowed for at the rate of four miles per hour. (b) The provisions hereinafter contained as to country work shall apply only to labourers employed in connection with building operations. (o) Every labourer engaged upon country work shall be paid in addition to his ordinary wages, a further sum of one shilling for each and every day while he is so employed, and his travelling expenses in going to and returning from such work shall also be paid by his employer, but only once during the continuance of the work if such work is continuous and the labourer is not in the meantime recalled by his employer, or he may be conveyed by his employer to and from such work free or charge'. Country work shall mean work done at more than six miles from the employer’s place of business. (d) Time occupied in travelling shall be paid for at the ordinary rates, but no labourer shall be paid more than an ordinary day’s wage for day occupied by him in travelling although the hours occupied by him may ’ exceed eight, unless lie is on the same day engaged in working for Ins employer. (e) Notwithstanding anything herein contained-, any employer and his worker may agree that in respect of any special or country work, the hours of work shall be other than those. hereinbefore prescribed without payment of overtime, but so that not less than the rate of wages hereinbefore prescribed shall be paid. TOOLS. All tools shall be supplied by the employer. UNDER-RATE WORKERS. (a) Any worker who considers himself incapable of earning the minimum wage fixed by this award may he paid such lower wage as may from time to time he fixed on the application of such worker, after duo notice to the Union by the Local Inspector of Factories, or such other person as the Court may from time to time appoint for that purpose, and such Inspector or person in so fixing such wage shall have regard to the worker's capability, his past

earnings and such other circumstances as such inspector or other person may think fit to consider, after hearing such evidence and argument as the Union and such worker shall offer.

(b) Such permit shall he for such period not exceeding six months as such Inspector or other person shall determine, and after the expiration of such period shall continue in force until fourteen days’ notice shall have been given to such worker by the Secretary of the Union requiring him to have his wage again fixed in manner proscribed by this clause. Provided that in the case of any person whose wage is so fixed by reason of old age or permanent disability, it may be fixed for such longer period as such Inspector or other person shall think fit. (c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, it shall he competent for a worker to agree with the President or the Secretary of the Union upon such wage without haying the same so fixed. (d) It shall bo the duty of the Union to .give notice to the Inspector of Factories of every agreement made with a worker pursuant hereto. (e) It shall be the duty of an employer before employing a worker at such lower wage to examine the permit or agreement by which such wage is fixed. PAYMENT OF "WAGES. , All wages to be paid weekly or fortnightly, and not more than two days’ wages to he kept in hand by the employer. If men are , called upon to come to the office to receive their wages they shall do so in the employer’s time, or be paid for such time taken in going to the office. In the event of a worker being dismissed he shall receive all wages duo to him the same day, or be paid for all time taken in waiting for a final settlement. EXISTING CONTRACTS. The provisions of this award shall not apply to contracts entered into before the hearing of this dispute and uncompleted, but any employer desiring to take advantage of this provision shall within fourteen days from the time which this award shall take effect give to the secretary of the workers’ union notice in writing of the contracts in respect of which he claims exemption, stating the date of each contract, the name of the person or body with whom the work has been entered into, and the nature of the. work and where the same is to be performed, and no employer shall he entitled to the benefit of this provision in rekpect of any contract of which he has not so given notice. SCOPE OF AWARD. (a) When the. wages of a worker coming within the apparent scope of this award have already been fixed by an award of the court or by any industrial agreement, this award shall not apply; and tin's award is made subject to the conditions that whenever any award is hereafter made embracing any industry, trade or business in which such workers are employed, such award may be made to supersede this award so far as regards the wages and conditions of such workers, APPLICATIONS FOR EXEMPTION. By mutual consent of both parties the following firms were exempted from the citation list, namely: Henry Brown and Co., New Plymouth Sash and Door Company, New’Zealand Express Co., and the Taranaki Producers’ Freezing Works Co. Applications for exemption from tho New Plymouth Borough Council, Now Plymouth Harbour Board, New Plymouth Gas Company, Taranaki Petroleum Company, am! Taranaki County Council were declined.

The Commissioner expressed his regret that the council had not been able to como to a complete agreement. Hitherto it had always been recognised that the claims and counter claims were open to discussion and modification, but in this particular dispute it was very evident that a certain decision had been arrived at in the matter of wages before ibo employers came there, and this, he thought, was not altogether in accord with the true spirit of conciliation.

Mr.. Grayling pointed out that the employers had offered to take either the Wellington or Invercargill awards, which both meant an increase of wages in certain branch.es.

Mr. Roper, on behalf of the assessors for the employees, extended their thanks and appreciation for the manner in which the Commissioner had hoard them in this matter. He regretted that they had not been more successful in their endeavours to arrive at a settlement. ‘He also expressed the appreciation of the assessors for the excellent manner in which tho copies of the recommendations of tho council had been tvned by Miss Hill.

Mr. Grenfell also made complimentary reference to the impartial manner in which the Commissioner had presided over the deliberations of the council. In connection with the counter proposals tho employers had submitted, he pointed out that they were in keeping with the Arbitration Court awards,, and they felt that this was the utmost they could offer under the circumstances. The Commissioner thanked the assessors for their kindly expressions of appreciation. It was always a pleasure to him to know ho had the confidence of both sides and that in the discharge of his duties he did so, in a fair and impartial manner. Ho differed with Mr. Grenfell in his contention, for what would be satisfactory to one district might not, as a matter of necessity, bo satisfactory to another district where .circumstances were very different, and that was the very reason these sittings of tho Conciliation Councils were bold in different parts of the Dominion. Tliis was the first time he had presided over a coniic.il where counter proposals had been put in under the amended Act, and if the intention of employers was always* to be that their counter proposals wore bedrock ho was afraid it would be detrimental to the working of the Act. CARPENTERS AND JOINERS’ DISPUTE. Tho carpenters arid joiners’ dispute will he heard on Monday. The assessors are; For the union, Ivor Hnzell and G. Blotherwick, of Wellington, and C. D. Arnold, of New Plymouth; for tho employers, AY, F. Brooking, J. AV. Boon, and F. A. Coleman, all of New Ply-, mouth, Mr. Grenfell, secretary of the Employers’ Association, AA’ellington, will appear for the employers.