ENGINEERING TRADE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20311, 22 May 1934, Page 7

ENGINEERING TRADE.

Employees Seek Dominion Award. RESTORATION OF CUTS. The restoration of wages cuts imposed during the past two years and the re-establishment of the basic wage in the industry at 2s 3d an hour were sought by the engineers, moulders, boilermakers, iron ship and bridge builders of New Zealand, except Wellington and Marlborough, in their claim for an award heard by a conciliation council this morning. Another demand was for a forty hour week. The applicants in the indu.* trial dispute were the Amalgamated Engineering and Allied Trades Industrial Association of Workers (New Zealand Council), the New Zealand Iron and Brass Moulders’ Federation and the New Zealand United Boilermakers and Iron Ship and Bridge Builders’ Fedeiation. The New Zealand Ironmasters’ Association and other employers were listed respondents. The assessors for the employers were: Messrs J. Black. G. Gray (Dux:edin), G. M. Hall, A. C. Mitchell (Christchurch), J. Cable, T. O. Bishop (Wellington), and W. J. Buckley (Auckland) The assessors for the employees were Messrs T. Thompson, T. Keliar (Dunedin), H. W. Mavo, E. Burbridge, S. V. Thomas (Auckland). G. T. Thurston (Christchurch) and J. Roberts, agent, (Wellington). The Conciliation Commissioner, Mr S. Ritchie, presided. Employees’ Claims. The employees asked for a week of 40 hours, of which seven hours should he worked on each of five days of the week between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. The employees’ claim for wagr-s were;—Patternmakers, fitters, turners, gunsmiths, blacksmiths, coppersmiths, toolmakers. universal grinders, diesinkers, brass-finishers, polishers, universal milling-machinists, millwrights, electrical engineers (working on shore at Port Chalmers'), iron and brass moulders, boilermakers, iron ship and bridge builders. 2s 3d per hour: planers, Blotters, shapers and borers. 2s lid per hour; moulders while engaged in moulding for steel or in steel casting, 2s 4d; coremakers who have served five years apprenticeship, 2s 3d; workers employed at oxy-acetylene or electric welding for less than four hours in a day should be paid Is extra per day. for more than four hours in a day Is extra per day. Where a worker was specially directed by his employer to take c-harge of any job, and had under his control no fewer six tradesmen, such worker should be paid 2s per day extra above the minimum rates, provided that the job should extend for one dav or more. A further clause claimed Is’ 6d a day extra for employees engaged in dirty work. Overtime should be paid for at t lie rate of time and a half for the first four hours, and thereafter double time until the ordinnrv time for commencing work next morning if worked continuously, with the exception of intervals for meals. Workers required to commence work between the hours of 6 a.m. and the ordinary time for commencing work should be paid at the rate of time and a half for such time. Counter-Proposals. Counter-proposals by the employers were for a 44-hour week and wages on the following scale;—Patternmakers. 2s an hour; toolmakers. Is lid; floor or plate moulders. Is 10Jd coremakers and machine moulders. Is 8d; coremakers on Wadsworth or similar machine. Is 6Jd; boilermakers, Is lOJd; punchers or shearers. Is Sd; engineers. Is 10*d; grinders. Is Bd. The employers* proposals for overtime were at the rate of time and n quarter for the first, two hours and time and a half thereafter. Fear of a Feud. Introducing the employees’ claims, Mr J. Roberts said that the dispute had been proceeding since 1932. Although -there had been no agreement for two years, it had not improved the position at all. The chief reason for again citing the employers was because the workers refused to believe that their employers, with whom they were on fairly good terms, would not give them an award with a reasonable rate of wages. The workers wanted an agreement. They believed that without an agreement there would be a feud in tha industry and that was what they did not want. In reply to Mr Roberts, Mr Bishop said that the industry had an award for many years and during the currency of the award the industry contracted. It was true that it had not expanded during the past two years when there was no agreement, but there was no reason to believe that the making of an award would increase the prosperity of the industry. There was no fear of a feud among employers, for the spirit had never been better. (Proceeding.)