ARBITRATION COURT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 18974, 27 March 1924, Page 5

ARBITRATION COURT

WANGANUI QUESTIONS. WELLINGTON, March 26. The Arbitration Court delivered its decision with reference to two questions submitted to it regarding waterside matters at Wanganui. The cases had been stated for the opinion of the Court by the joint secretaries or the National Disputes Coommitteo set up under the Waterside Workers’ Award. The first question was: What is the interpretation of Clause 22 of the said award in regard to lighters working at the port of Wanganui from the river to the roadstead, the dispute being as to whether the men working frozen meht in the holds of lighters are entitled, under Clause 22, to the special rate provided by Clause 3 (b) of the award? In the opinion of the Court, as lighters at Wanganui were not equipped with refrigerating machinery the clause clearly related to lighters equipped with refrigerating machinery in wnich the holds were frozen down. Before the Wanganui lighters were loaded, cold' air was pumped into them from the freezing works, which had the effect of cooling the sides of the holds, but the men were not then working. When the lighters reached the overseas vessel the hatches were removed, and the men were working in a temperature that soon approximated to that of the outside air.

The second question was: Are men working on the s.s. Storm at Wanganui from midnight on Sunday to 0.15 а. dii Sunday (the first day of the ship’s working; and were then ordered to cease work on account of rain, and told to return to work at 8 a.m., entitled to the intervening time from б. a.m. to 7 a.m. (7 a.m. to 8 a.m. being the breakfast honuijl “The men were ordered to cease work on account of rain,” said Judge Frazer in the Court’s reply, “and tu.e case accordingly conies under Clause 23 (c) and no payment is claimable between 6.15 a.m. and 8 a.m. Apart from this consideration, as the men had had more than six hours’ work on the day in question, no payment would be dub by reason of the provisions of Clause 23 (b).” After considering the joint application the Court has decided to umend the watersiders’ award by deleting subClauso (S) of Clause 3 and substituting the following: “(C) carrying and stowing frozen meat or frozen produce in freezing chambers on board ship which are actually frozen down. Kerosene, naptha, benzine, motor spirits in lots of 150 cases or more, in one hold, and below hatches; payment in such case to be made to all men handling such cargoes, whether they are employed in the hold, on deck, on the wharves, in trucks, or handling such cargoes inj*> or from lighters; crude or fuel oils in barrels or bulk (one barrel to equal five cases); shovelling hot coal, 4d per hour.” The order has taken effect from 20. i /I