"CAN'T AFFORD IT."

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11028, 17 March 1914, Page 4

"CAN'T AFFORD IT."

METAL WORKERS' DEMANDS. EMPLOYERS TURN THEM DOWN"UP AGAINST PROTECTED LABOUR." Competition between different centres on unfair terms, and between NewZealand and England, were the principal reasons why tho metal workers' employers of Canterbury refused to commit themselves to giving higher wages to the workers until a lead should be given by tho Arbitration Court, sitting in Wellington at present to consider the demands of the employees. Tlio whole matter was threshed out when the industrial dispute between the Canterbury Metal Workers Assistants' Industrial Union of Workers and the employers was heard •, to-day, before Mr J. ft. Triggs, Conciliation Commissioner. Mr F. C. Ellis appeared on behalf of tho Union. g

The following were the assessors: — Employers—Messrs G. F. Whittakcr, J. B. Laurenson and F. Cooper. Employees—Messrs W. Dwight, O. C. Bloom and J. E. Underwood. EMPLOYEES' PROPOSALS.

Tho employees' proposals contained the following, provisions amongst others Clauso I—Forty-four hours shall constitute a week's work, of which eight hours shall be worked on each working day except Saturday, and four hours on Saturday. Clause 2—The hours for night workers to be similarly arranged in each establishment. One hour to bo allowed each night for meals when two shifts are worked; when three shifts are worked, half an hour shall be allowed for meals, to bo paid for by the employer. Clause 3—The following shall be tho minimum rate of wages:—■ Labourers, Is 4£d per hour; strikers, Is 4sd per hour; yardman, Is 4£d per hour ; fettlers, Is 4id per hour.; machinists, Is 4£d per hour; Clauso" 4—■ Men employed as holders-up on all water-tight work, furnacing and flanging boiler work, shall be paid not . less than. 14Jd per hour. When this work is done oil ships or stearpers they shall bo paid not less than Is 4jd per hour. Clause 5 (a) —All work in connection with cupola and annealing furnaces shall bo paid at the rate of Is 4id per hour: this rate shall be paid to anneal-, iug ftirnacemen . during such times as they are employed firing-up; (b) Furnace working steel crucible furnaces shall be paid not less than Is 6d per ]iour. Clause 6—Woi-kei's under the ago of twenty-one -yeafs: shall, be paid the following minimum rate of wages: —Under and up to sixteen years, los per week ; sixteen to seventeen years, 20s; seventeen to eighteen years. £1 ss; eighteen to nineteen. £1 10s; nineteen to twenty years, £l 15s; twenty to -tfwenty-ono years, £2 5s per week. Clanso B—Any man employed at dirty work, such as under lower platform of engine-room,' or in bilges, or in confined places about ships' boilers, or ashore,-, shall receive Is per day extra as dirt money ; youths so employed shall receive 6d per day extra. Clause 9—Double time shall be paid for work done on Sundays, Good J riday, King's Birthday, Nep- Year's Day, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day; When any of the above-mentioned holidays fall on a Sunday the following Monday shall be- observed. All time worked beyond the hours mentioned in 1 hereof shall Be pa.id for as. overtime at the rate of time and,a quarter for the first two hours, and time and a half afterwards. These rates shall be paid to all workers of over the age of nineteen years. For those no to the age of nineteen years the overtime' rate shall be Is per . hour. A preference clause, and a clause for under-rate workers, were also provided in the employees' prposals.

EMPLOYERS SUGGEST OLD AWARD. ■ The employers proposed that the old award, made in May, 1913, should be taken as the basis of the new agreement, with the exception of the clauses relating to overtime and holidays, for which they proposed that the corresponding clauses m the engineers' award should be taken as a basis. The principal clauses in the old award were that the hours of work should be forty-eight a, week, and that the hours for--night, iwork should l>& similarly arranged, in each establishment. The wages 'per, hour should bo as follows:—Labourers Is, strikers Is, yardmen Is, fettlers Is/ machinists Is, holders-by in all water-tight work, furnacing and flanging boiler work Is l£d. and on ehips and steamers Is 2d. i'lirnacemen working cupola and annealing furnaces Is lid, furnacemen working steel crucible furnaces Is 3d. The .wages for workers under twenty-one were as follows :r—Up to sixteen. IPs a week, sixteen to seventeen 15s a week, seventeen to eighteen £1 a week, eighteen to nineteen £1 5s a week, nineteen to twenty £1 10s a week, twenty to twenty-one £2 a week. The' clauses in the engineers' award relating, to overtime and holidays provided for . overtime pay at the rato of time and a quarter for the first two hours and after that time and a half. The- holiday clause provided that work done on New Year's Dav, Easter. Mon day and King's Birthday should be pairl for at the rate of time and a half, and the work done on' Sunday,. ■Good Friday. Labour Day or Christmas Day should be paid for at tlio rate of double time.

CONDITIONS ALTERED FOR THE WORSE. ' Mr Cooper said that since the old a ward, was made conditions, if they had altered at all, had altered for the worse, and the employers could not see their way to make any advance. The matter was being discussed before the Arbitration Court in Wellington at present, and the employers here did not wish to do anything definite until they saw what would be done in Wellington. He proposed an adjournment. Tho employers would not accede to the demands, anyway, and tho matter could not, in the ordinary com;se of events, come before the Court in''Christ church till after it had been settled in AVellington. Mr Triggs: If the employers here should agree, to give higher rates than should be agreed on in other centres, would the firms in those other centres then come in and compete on unequal terms?

Mr Laurenson : Tf I could sell mv business at 20 per cent discount i should do so gladly. We are up against protected labour, and wo can't afford to nay any more. Mr Triggs: But anart from English competition, do firms in other New Zealand centres come down here and compete with the local manufacturers? OUTSIDE COMPETITION. The opinion was expressed by the employers that this was so. One assessor .said that a Christchurch firm had lost JC'-100 last year in the range trade .ui Auckland. The employers expressed themselves a.s strongly in favour of a uniform dominion rate, which would tend to prevent competition between different centres on unfair terms. Mr Triggs (to Mr Ellis): Could you not agree to postpone the matter, in order to give the Court an. opportunity of giving us a. lead in .Wellington ? Mr Ellis: The Council might fix something which could be regarded as a minimum.

Mr Cooper suggested that the matter locally might be referred to the Court for settlement, but if in tho meantime the Court gave its decision in Wellington the Commissioner might call a

meeting of the Council to see if an agreement might be agreed on. REFERRED 1 TO COURT. After considerable discussion the clauses were considered seriatim. Clauses 2. 7, 8 and 10 and the preference clause of the employees' proposals were filially agreed upon, and it was decided to .refer Clauses 1, 3, 4, u. 6 and 9to the Arbitration Court. It was agreed, however, that if the Court should give its decision in "Wellington before the Court sat in Christchurch, tlio parties .should again meet before, the Commossioner to endeavour to agree sys to the remaining clauses.