CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11148, 5 August 1914, Page 5

CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

GARDENERS' UNION DEMANDS. AN AGREEMENT ARRIVED ST. A sitting of the Conciliation Council vra* held at the Provincial Council Chambers this morning, before Mr J. R. Triggs, Conciliation Commissioner, for the purpose of hearing an industrial dispute between the Canterbury Gar- i doners' Union and tko employers in the industry. Messrs R. Nairn, W. L. Grant and A. W .Buxton iicted as employers' assessors, and Messrs A. Rugg, R ■ Wareing and W. Moisey as Union's assessors. , : The Union's demands included a for-; ty-eight hours' working week, and the payment of _ competent nursery and landscape gardeners at 3d per hoar or £2 15s per week; nursery and general landscape labourers, is 2d per hour or £2 Us per week. Provision was made for an apprenticeship period of five years, and for ! the employment of not_ more than one apprentice to i three journeymen. The employers counterclaimed that the old award should form the basis of the new one, with the exception of the preference clause.

A. deputation from tho Canterbury Fruitgrowers' Association waited on tho Council and entered a pretest against a clause in the Union's demands applying the provisions to work done in connection with the growing of fruit for sale. The members of the deputaton urged that fruitgrowers in all other parts of New Zealand were not covered by awards, and the result of bringing the Canterbury fruitgrowers under tho award would be to impose a severe handicap.upon the fruitgrowing industry in this province. It was urged on behalf of the Union that tho fruitgrowers did propagating .work in connection with young tomato plants, and therefore came into competition with nurserymen.

An undertaking was given by Mr J. Long-ton. on behalf of tho fruitgrowers that this class of trading would be dropped by the fruitgrowers, who wo seeking exemption. Tho Commissioner aaked the deputation to furnish a list of the fruitgrowers applying for exemption, and on receiving the list, granted the exemp-' tion asked for, informing the fruitgrowers, however, that the exemption did not release them frcm the nbhVation to pay award rates for. gardening or nursery work.

. The deputation thanked the Commissioner and withdrew.

Consideration of TTnion's demands trs then commenced bv th« nnrtiesi. Commissioner sug<?*ted to the employers that in view of the fact tha+ the Court had an of rrnrrp.q in fli.-, Auckland award it was useless te discus a pot.+lernppt on the hisi.* of the old CMstehnrch award. The Auckland, m'ght prove an back of pn-reenjerjt. On holmlf nf tho Union it was urged that, the AueV'nnd award was not s"ffieion+lv. pvni; c ; t in the matter of its apprenticeship clauses. A V"yr dicpussiVjn fellnwed on the question, nnd it w d~e'ded to ncoep+ +he proposition of one apprentice to'three competent iourne-'-m' 1 !!.

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