WAGES.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXI, Issue 12190, 11 June 1907, Page 2

WAGES.

11. In hxtoiics the minimum rates oi w i-^e-. shall i'c an follow •» — l'n-l-class nia(hinisl, t.! per week. -e< ond-i las-, machinist, i'- 11s . hrst ->a\\yer or headman at bn aking-dos\)i bench, £'•'$ . second sawyer, i:i! Its. engine-driver holding first ifass. icitificate. t-i : engine-dnvt 1 holding sce<>iid-( la>— c"i< ific.iti", 12 It- fiieman <ir diiM-i without ceit ih'i af'\ t'2 8-: Hrsfi h's-, cooper. £' I . second-class n )]k i". £'- lli otlii'.- nif'ii in tlie loopeinifj tiade, 4:2 l"s i).).\uiak * ■>. k'2 8s: y.ml" - in. £') : oideui,a<i. i:2 14-. v a .d lab'o . I! t- . nicrl-t vijiti iimnn (it in elia! 1"1 "' 1 ■! ■ i I! only), £'^ K's. Casual lai.o.iier 1 - i.. ,icr iiont . I'J. Tn couirlvv sawmills the m'niminn vt< .■' va^i>- shall be as follow^ — Head bfi, m ."> li- 4d ]'or hour, henchman v. lio d .-s ii ii 1. ep hi- <-<iv,.- 1- "H. lir>,i hreak(l n )>nn Is .'A. -r«oiid b'eakdov'i mail Is ".'('. > M h'r vii '■, 2d. h- -'-(l.'v- ma''hini-. J 1- ! . - >i( -c ..- » ' < , -i '.ri 2(1 <vofMUKU 1 '• -'' i nn^n, (»r <!c"'|'m:^ -I",') 72 d. o ,- -i c ;s -n.U'v 11 (. oalloik 'l.'-o. J^ 1 \ I:--' IMC;,") i- ±-i. a-c'-n 1 iirie;ii,!)i i- Id. ... >ir .'i 12 -d. a!) n,h<>r J« i'i"ip'e-. . ■' . r w•' ''" -i' •>■= •;-•>'. T ,, £ „,_ , .., r ,„, il: „-, . ..,, „,,.f.t.f. - i' ,'nnr v : n c y--J ,-> • V ,"2 .- ''- \\ r". ~- '-. v^' L. n l^ 1 1 v.iithr\<r ( - t \T\ ;i-'-|i; u>l" -"■'.l o,'ivi Jc)l 1> s\ 1 ' Tlu' f.'i]'"ii' i»o 3]:>ll bp Hie nii'rnim? 1 Wi.Q-f- ti.l" ' ■"' r : 14 'H " tllO <''-.t"iir'l", ■\ hot hor r■> -Mync! id c<.-ir ioi 5 or cmni'v mi'is — ! vn ni I" t>> 17 year- <<\d Tvs ]er I week, lrom 17 u> Irt years old Z^^, from IK !o 19 years old 2">s. Horn 19 to 20 yeais aid 3'V, from 20 to 21 yeais old '.tt». I 14. X(i person employed at weekly wnges shall be entitled to payment lor time lost through his own default, nor, in the case ot adult workeirf. shall time loht on account of illnc-s be paid i«.r. 10. Ir. the <asc ot weekly workers twenty-tour hours' notice on either side shall isufliec to terminate the engagement. But nothing herein coi tamed shall prejudice the right oi the employer to dismiss anyone without notice for lawful cause. FNDER-RATI-: WOKKOS. 1(5. This clause make* provisions for the issue o\ permits to workeifi nu:\ble to earn the minimum wago. In the city of "Wellington and within the radius prescribed by clause 2 such permits are to ho issued by the chairman of the Conciliation Hoard, to whom application may be made direct, after twenty-fours' notice to the secretary of the Union. Elsewhere throughout the industrial district application may be made to the Stipendiary Magistrate, in which case tive days' notice must be given the secretary. But nothing in the clause contained shall nrevent an agreement being made between the under-rato worker without rferencc to any other tribunal. In •very case notice of any permit issued to as under-rate worker muet be served on the Inspector of Factories. PREFERENCE, ETC. 17 and 18. Preference is granted momebrs of the Union, subject to the condition usually imposed. It is further provided that nothing in the recommondations contained shall oblige any nonUnionist now employed to join the Union, nor shall existing arrangements between employers* »nd workers be disturbed in any way. DURATION 1 OF PROPOSED AWARD. 1" The.«e recommendations shall come into operation a* from the 7th July, 1907, and shall remain in operation until the 7th July, 1<)(«J, and thereafter, unites and until «*upersoded by another award or in dustrial agre^ment. UKASOXS FOR THE RECOMMENDATIONS. Th«r definition of "first" and second-claw machinist, "iiitsl" and "second-ela < »8 sawyer," "youth," and "casual labourer" were agreed to by the parties at several conferences, and are practically reproduced from the existing award. The remaining definitions contained in clause 1 have been e«ueiully considered with a view to securing cle«irnes*, and thus minimising the iisk ot disputes as to interpretation. The last paragraph of the clause makes clear tlu distinction between town and country establishment*. As all are registered under uho Factory Act, it does not seem sufficient to refer merely to '•factories" and "country mills,' and we have accordingly given to each a special meaning. Clause- 4 was agreed to by the parties m conference at AYanganui, and it appears to h« a reasonable concession to employers. Clause 5 was agreed to by the parties at several conferences, and is calculated to meet the convenience of country employers. Provisions similar to those contained in clauses 6 and 7 are in force under the existing award, and they likewsie embody the agreement of the partiea. Clause 16 wa« suggested by the employers in conference in Wellington, and was accepted by the Union representatives. We have found it necessary to make alterations to make the clause applicable outside the city of Wellington. Otherwise the clause substantially represents the agreement oi the parties. Regarding holidays, the Union asked for New Year's Day, Good Friday, Kaslei Monday, the Sovereign's Birthday, Laboi Day the Prince of Wales' Birthday, ChrVima» Day. Boxing Day, Anniveisary Day, and Sundays. To meet the case of country mills, however, the Union representative agreed to forego the Sovereign's Birthday, Labor Day, the Prince ot Wales' Birthday, and Anniversary Day so far as they were concerned. Boxing Day and Easter Monday rttill remained in dispute, and we recommend the former, thus making four annual holidays in country mills in addition to Sundays. The Wellington employers agreed to the holidays prescribed by clause 9° and the proviso thereto is drafted to meet the convenience of factory proprietors outside the city of Wellington. It represents the agreement of the parties at several centres. . Tho I'nion desired to limit the weeks work throughout the district to iorty-tive hours, and the employers sought for fortyseven hours in the factories and forty-eight in the country mills. Alter the tullest consideration we have decided to recommend tho houis obtaining under the existinw award, except with respect to the city of "Wellington and within the radius of ten mile* flora the General Post Office. Withm that area we recommend a forty-live houi week, lhat is the number of hours prescribed the existing carpenters' award. We think it undesirable that* there should be different horn's as between timber wurkei.s and carpenters, more especially as the proviso to clause 1 of the carpenters' aw aid (oce January Labour Journal, p. 47), was evidently drafted in contemplation ol siuli a modification as wge recommend. Regarding wages, the Union asked lor a number of increases as well as for payment weekly. The employers opposed iuo*t of the increases asked for, and asked tor payment by the hour. If that system of payment were conceded they were proeared to agree to certain advances in wages tor the puposes of convenience in ,'Oinputaiion, Save on a few detail.-, -we found it impossible to get the parties to come to an agreement on these points. We found that in country mills, with I the exception oi the lowest paid labourer-, the \\iigei now being paid are in advance ol those we lecommend. Generally speaking, the unskilled men are being paid on wore- than the minimum prescribed by the •\i-=( mg award. At Palmerston one employer voluntarily expressed the opinion that the»e men should receive not lesn than 3s per day, and at Wanganui the employers agreed in conference to such an increase. We recommend the payment

of \v.tp;f>« wockly in 1 lio raso ol futoiio-. and hoiirh in the di-c ol lountiy mills. Sill||(*c( ((I a 11 11 111 I>CM* <)i CXerpf Mllle ".IlKl'l Wl'lC <. <_C1 lt d tt) .it Oilf <)1 11101 l ( OlllcK'llCCS We h.we 1 incited -.aii'gu.u <L~. howevei, asainst paynmt lor tinx" not .11 tually woi kid (vulV ( lauso II). We H-cnninicnd a 111111 1111111 M w:i«;o tor unskilled i.ilioiuers ot £2 Hs per weik, or Is Id per hour, and we do not think, having legard to the lusjli co-1 ot li\in^ and the admi-sions ot a niitnlu'i ot tue employers themselves, that such an increase it> more than the men .lfie<tel air el't'tl'd to. The I'nion a-.ki (I tor pre lore wo, subject to the usual <'ondit ion 1 -. The employers ojs]jo-ed t lie il.um, ana pointed out that preicreiieo had not so tar been conceded to this class ot labour mi'ler any pievious award. Tlie latter objection \\ji-. not com'mttod by tlie I nion. Wo tun], however, that prete; nice has been conceded under the ( antu buiy Awavri — Award-., Vol 111, p oil. Alter envoi ully con-ideiing tlu» point, wo have di'fidcd tn ron-miui'iid preforcmv in tliiri fjis". ))iit siibji't-t" to Hie piovi-iion that oxi->tinsf arrangements shall not lie. ■.•fleeted, that is to j-ay that 11011V \'.'.c)m- s at pr^'-ent al -work shall not be rcfjinred to join tlie I'mon. Wo think that, as tlip enrol! raofenient of Tnion* i«j in acrcii tlance with the policy of the Indusi'it'l v r>n' i'i.i* ii'ii and Arbitration Act, ' . . r i 1. . M.of is liia;!; ly valued o .• t"• 1 i)ia)i, nnd is conrod''d in tbo p-rnal intv o! i.v-'-. it is desirable to "lMtit it ni tue ]!ic-;'!]t ca-e.