GASWORKS EMPLOYEES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16735, 17 May 1922, Page 8

GASWORKS EMPLOYEES.

CLAIM NEW AWARD.*

CONCILIATION COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS.

The claims for a new award put forward, by th© Christchurch Gasworks Employees’ Union were the subject of Conciliation Council proceedings this morning. The only employer engaged is the Christchurch Gas Co. The Commissioner, Mr W. H. Hagger, presided. The assessors for the union were: Messrs C. Renn. H. Wilson and \V. D. Sullivan; and for the company: Mesrs R. C- Bishop, R. English, AW. Price and F. Cooper (agent). The proposals put forward by the union were in some essentials a good departure from the terras of the existing award. It was asked, in regard to hours, that the week’s work for stokers, machine-operators and watergas operators in a retort house should consist of not more than six shifts of eight hours each. The old award provided for seven shifts. Tt was aaked that the week’s work for other workers covered by the award, except those in the complaint and maintenance department, should be 44 hours a week. The existing award provides for 47 hours a week- The minimum wages in the retort house for an eight hours’ shift for machine operators, stokers and water-gas operators should be 18s per shift. Tbe existing award is for Is lOd per hour. In the following figures the amounts in parentheses show the present payments -Blacksmiths and mechanics £2 2s (Is lid hour), workshop assistants £4 14s (Is 9d hour), yardmen Is lid hour (Is 7d), workers cleaning flues 2s 6d hour (2s); complaint men and meter firers £4 10s week (Is 7d hour), service layers £4 13s per week (Is 9d hour), helpers £4 10s week (Is 7d hour), meter waterers £4 os week (Is 6sd hour), siphon pumpers £4 s<s week (Is 6sd hour, town workshop hands, mechanics and blacksmiths £5 2s week (Is lid hour). Maintenance department, general hands, £4 10s per week (Is /d hour). Tt was asked that th© wages of youths be raised by 5s p<»r week, with proportionate increases foi worker a over 21 in the maintenance department. Concerning storemen it was asked that the wages be the !*ame as in the local storemen's award, whereas tho old award provided : Head storemen Is 9d hour and assistants Is 7d. Meter-cleaners and repairers, who are now receiving Is 7d per hour, should get £4 10s a week. The overtime rates as proposed were the same, except in regard to holiday work when it was asked that the rate should be double ordinary time Extra holidays on which payment was asked were: Boxing Day. Easter Monday, Sovereign’s Birthday, Show Day and Picnic Da*.

The counter-proposals were that the present award should continue in existence The Commissioner said that the dispute would have this to recommend it: that they would not need to take other interests outside the Gas Company into account. Mr Renn explained that the alteration wanted in the number of shifts was to bring conditions in Christchurch into conformity with conditions in other centres. * Mr Bishop: We decline. Mr Renn asked Mr Bishop not to be so absolutely opposed to the proposals. Conditions here, he said, were most unfavourable when compared with Wellington. Wanganui and Auckland. They had been held up to a certain amount of scorn for the backwardness of the conditions here, and an attempt to bring conditions to a level in Christchurch should not be strongly opposed. Mr Bishop replied that the present terms had been in existence for the last fifty years and they had worked satis factorily. The hours clause was passed. Going on to the next clause Mr Renn remarked that there was no reason why conditions that obtained fifty years ago should be allowed to continue in these times. Conditions that obtained that long ago were an industrial abominotion. M.r Bishop: I beg your pardon, sir. Nothing of the kind ! Mr. Renn informed Mr. Bishop that some of the men had been working up to twenty one hours a day. and this kind of thing had been going on for some time. Mr. Sullivan said that that state of affairs had been ruling for the past eighteen months. Mr Bishop said that there had been no direct complaints. As general manager he had heard nothing. Why had the men not complained? Mr Renn replied that the men would rather suffer in silence. There was a natural dislike to bringing the names of the men forward to lay complaints. Anyway, the complaints of this unfair treatment had been referred to the Labour Department. rM Bishop : Very well, that settles it then ! (Proceeding).