CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9675, 18 October 1909, Page 3

CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

».• . . ] ROPE AND FLAX MILLS DISPUTE. A sitting of the Conciliation Council was held in Christchnrch this morning to fix* conditions of labour for the, Canterbury Rope, Twine. Flock and Flax Mills Employees; The Commissioner, Mr J. R. Triggs, presided, and the assessors were Messrs R. H. Maddren >md R. . M'Donald (employers), T. Mathie and A. J. Bufchking (employees). Mi- J. Fisher conducted the case for the Union and Mr H. Broadhead for the employers. After some discussion it was. agreed that the matters in dispute should be. decided by the. assessors alone with the Commissioner as chairman. The following conditions were agreed to: — The hours of work not to exceed forty-eight hours per week, all time over forty-eight hours per week to be paid for at the rate of time and a quarter. The minimum wages to be paid as follows :— Flax mill employeesWorking foreman 60s per week, feeders 7s per day, feeders and stripper-keep-ers combined* Bs, chief paddock hands Bs, or if on piece-Work wages 20s per ton from September 1 to April 30 and. 22s 6d per ton from 1 May \j to August 31, water scutchers 6s 6d per day, tiers up, takers off, shakers off and sorters 6s per day, flax-cutters 6s per ton, scutchers 20s per ton with a minimum of Is lid per hour, scutching, lapping and pressing 80s per ton, pressing scutched tow 10s per ton, draymen 6s per d£y, lorrymen £2 2s per week., waggoners £2 6s per week • twine mill employees — worn.»ng foreman £2 10s per week, spinners where no assistants are employed 8s per day, no man to be asked to attend to more than six double spinning machines, first spinners where assistants are employed 7s per day, assistant spinner 6s 3d, bailers without Bs, first bailer with assistant 7s, second bailer 6s l 3d, packers 7s, spreader feeders 6s 6d, drawers 6s; night workers, foreman excepted, 3d per night extra. Youths'- wages in twine mills: From 16 to 17 years of age, 15s per day. ; 17 to 18, 17s 6d (flaxmills 20sV. 18 to 19, 20s (265); 19 to 20, 25s (30s) ; 20 to 21, 30s (355). All wages to be paid' fortnightly in the employer's time. Holidays to be Christmas Day, Boxing Day. New Year's Day. Good Friday, Eastef Monday, Labour Day and Sovereign's'' birthday; no payment to be made for holidays except to boys under eighteen years of age. and work done on holidays to be paid tor at time and a' quarter rates. Provision i was made for the employment of under- ! rate workers. It was agreed that the provisions of the award should not apply to work done in connection with tiaxmills'by farm hands, provided that 1 the greater portion of their work consisted of farm work, and that where an employer was bound by any other award in respect of any of his employees, the conditions of the~present award' should not* apply to such employees. A conditional preference clause was inserted. It was decided that the award should operate frpm January 1, 1910, to December 81, 1912.