ARBITRATION COURT

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19813, 3 December 1919, Page 3

ARBITRATION COURT

SITTING IN CHRISTCHURCH The Arbitration Court open eel a session in the Provincial Council Chamber .yesterday, before his Honor .Mr .lustice (president). Mr J. A. M'CulIfiUCh (representing the employees), and Air A\. .Scott (representing the employers). 00 XC iMATI ON COi: NC.II/ S RKCOM.MKXDATTONS. Complete recommendations by the Conciliation Council in disputes brought by the Canterbury Freezing Works: and Related Trades (Tanners’ and Follmongors Section), (lie Timaru Carpenters’ and Joiners' Union, and the Christchurch Printing I racle (Storeoty pers' Section) were received, and it was decided to convert them into awards. PANGEA I AKERS. An application was made to add the Christchurch Gas Company to the Canterbury rangomalters’ award. Air C. llenn appeared for the union anti Air R. C. Bishop for the company. Air llenn said that certain men employed by the company were engaged as rangemakers. \\iiliain John AA Initio, rangomaker said that the company paid him Is 44 an hour. In Christchurch, Scott Bros also manufactured ranges, and lie had been employed by them. The work bad been done by the company during only the past twelve or eighteen months. To Air Bishop: He assembled the different parts of the ranges. lo Air llenn: The work he did for the company was exactly the same as lie had done for Scott Bros. Alexander Victor Sonthcombe. employed by the Gas Company in fitting work, £aid that the work required 1 skill. i Air Heim said that the company was j making gas-cookers, and was paying i considerably lower wages than were paid by other employers doing the same class of business. I Air Bishop said thaf the coinpanv was not cited when the dispute was j heard. Its employees bad not expressed dissatislactinu with the wages paid, which wore (piito reasonable. Tim men concerned were intelligent and did their work very well indeed, hut it could not bo claimed that they were rangemakers. Their work was to assemble the different parts. The president said that the Court felt that, although the company's comiielitioii with other rangemakers was limited, it should lie on the same basis 111 regard to wages. The Court would consider whether or not the company should come under the general conditions provided for rangemakers. PARTIES .JOINED. Mr R. I). Alartin asked that about twenty parties should he joined to the Christchurch Retail Shop Assistants’ award (Hardware Section). Air E. Cooper objected to the following being joined:--Adams and Co., E. A. Cook and Co., Bell Bros., International Harvester Company, Kincaid's Ltd., Manning and Dawson, Ltd., Alassey. Harris Company, Warded Bros., AA’eeks, Ltd., and Christchurch Gas Company. All these objections were upheld. Other parties were joined. The Christchurch Storeman's I'nion (Air Martin) applied to have parties joined. An objection on behalf of Alexander AlM,can was upheld. Other parlies were joined. TAILORING TRADE. In the Christchurch tailoring (ratio award. Air F. R. Cooke asked that it should be amended on account ol the increased cost, of living. He said (hat it was two years since the award was made. It was asked that the following provisions should lie made: flTiges - Mon employed on weekly wages, including prossers, 1' I 10s a week ; women employed on weekly wages, including tailorosse.s on ladies' work, £’3 a week; piecework, Is 5d an hour for males and Is Id for females; apprentices’ wages, increase of 60 per cent. Air Cooke also stated that the hours of men in the trade were forty-eight a week as against forty-four in other skilled trades, and that, the present wages of females were much below the standard needed for individual independence. Air Cooper, for the employers," opposed the application. He quoted the Government Statistician’s figures as an objection to the application, and said that increases in wages had already been given to employees in the trade since tho cost of living began to rise. Air Cooke submitted household accounts to show increased cost of clothing. The president said thaf the Court would consider its decision. APPLICATION WITHDRAWN. Air F. C. Ellis, for the Canterbury Freezing Workers’ Union (Tanners’ ami Fellmongers' Section), asked to withdraw an application to have Pyne, Gould and Guinness, Ltd., joined, and permission was given. DATES FIXED. The following dales wore fixed for hearing cases;— December 3—Larcomlte r. Stewart (10 a.m.), Al’Vee v. Union Steam Ship Company, O’Neill v. Withers (2 p.m.), all compensation eases. December 4—Canterbury timberyards, sawmills and coalyards employees (10 a.m.), Canterbury grocers’ assistants (2 p.m.), Canterbury' storemen, Canterbury engineers, metalworkers' assistants, t:in>mitlis (sheetmetal workers), electrical workers, boilermakers, rangemakers, motor mechanics. December ■'> —Timarn painters (10 a.m.), retail shop .assistants *(10.30 a.m.), retail chemists. December <l--Canterbury female bookbinders, paper-rulers and cutters, and Canterbury paper-bag carton and boxmakers. December 8 -New Zealand typographers (10 a.m.), Now Zealand lithographers. Alost of these eases are applications to amend awards in view of the increased cost of living. The Court, adjourned until TO a.m. j next day. ft will leave Christchurch for Dunedin on Tuesday, December 9,