METAL WORKERS' AWARD.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 11938, 27 March 1914, Page 4

METAL WORKERS' AWARD.

EMPLOYERS DISSATISFIED

[By Telegraph—Press Association.]

WELLINGTON, Friday. The award .made by the Arbitration Court in the Wellington metal workers' dispute was condemned at a meeting of the local iron workers. Considering: the evidence given, by the employers tJftL the Court as to the shrinkage of trade, *""1 and the fact that evidence was also "* given as to a considerable reduction in the number of hands now employed, the employers held that the award given is against the weight of evidence. They also considered that the granting of preference was unwarranted.

The employers stated that they recognised the present outlook was anything but encouraging, and they held that the granting of higher wages to unskilled workers is suicidal, and will prove to be against the interests of the worker himself, as it will assuredly mean a- reduction of hands in the foundries.

Mr H. W. Allen, who represented the employers iir the dispute, states that the advance of wages and improved conditions granted means roughly an increase of 15 per cent. This he considers will be serious in some cases where structural engineers are working under contracts, the prices for labour upon which they based their quotations, being the existing rates.