ARBITRATION COURT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16908, 6 December 1922, Page 8

ARBITRATION COURT.

ENGINEERING DISPUTE. The Arbitration Court was occupied today hearing further argument and evidence in the dispute between the Amalgamated Engineering Union and the employMr F. Cooper appeared for the employers and Mr R. F. Barter for the Union. Portions of the case had already been board in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin. Mr Bar-ter said that, as to hours, the Union whs prepared to accept the present, award in two centres and asked that 44 hours a Areek should he the stated number of hours in each centre. Tn Auckland and Dunedin the previous, holidav clause Avas agreed to. A night shift clause Avaa asked for in place of overtime to try to assist in obtaining work for unemployed. The Union had specified the branches to he included in the general engineers’ section to cover the Avorkers engaged in a particular class of work. While the three unions Avere asking for the same rate of pay the moulders were asking that the question of dirty work should be considered and that they should be paid Is Gd a day for it on top of the rate prescribed. New Zealand had had no slump un the engineering trade. Even on the presentbasis of wages Auckland shops bad been able to absorb over 100 of the 2*27 arrir- ’*?■ 5 J’. om Country. The employers in this case were asking for a reduction from £5 2s sd to £s n s 4 d iu wases. The plea ot the employers that they must have a reduction in wages to meet competition nonsense, as 90 per cent of the work done in this country was repair work Tor this the employers fixed wha-t rates they liked. They charged a customer a of , ss an hour and desired to pay the worker la sd of that and scoop the rest as profit, (Proceeding).