H.—6

XVI

And this Court doth further award and order that this award shall be binding upon the said union and its members, and upon each of the persons or firms, parties to this dispute ; and shall remain in full force, and its provisions shall be enforceable, for a period commencing on Monday, the 15th day of November next, and ending on the 31st day of December, 1898. Bakers' Dispute (before the Conciliation Board). —Dispute between the Operative Bakers' Union and various employers. The union filed the following statement:— (1.) That employers give members of the union prior right to employment. (2.) That nine hours and a half constitute a day's labour, including half an hour for breakfast and one hour for sponging. (3.) The rate of wages shall be as follows : Foreman, not less than £3 per week, with thirteen loaves ; second hand, not less than £2 10s. per week, with thirteen loaves ; and any others not less than £2 ss. per week, with thirteen loaves ; all hands to receive dry pay. (4.) No workmen to commence work before 4 a.m., except Saturdays, when he shall start at 2 a.m. After the stated hours are up overtime to be paid as follows: Time and a quarter up to 5.30 p.m., and time and a half after 5.30 p.m. (5.) No apprentice shall be allowed to any firm unless two bona, fide journeymen be employed ;if four men, two apprentices, but no more than two in any firm. Each apprentice to be under sixteen years of age when bound, and to be bound for a period of five years. Indentures of apprentices to be produced to the secretary of the union if required. (6.) Jobbers to receive 10s. per diem of nine hours and a half, and overtime as stated in clause 3, allowing half an hour for breakfast. (7.) Sunday sponging shall cover all statutory holidays (nine). If workmen requested to work on holidays, time and a half to be allowed. (8.) No carter to be employed in any bakehouse—either he must be a bond fide carter or baker ; but a baker may deliver bread as long as he does not work more than the stipulated hours. (9.) That all employers of union labour, all employers of non-union labour, and all employers in the baking trade enter into an industrial agreement under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act embodying the above recommendation for a period of two years. It was announced that all members of the Employers' Union had agreed to the demands made by the workmen. The settlement of the difficulty rested with the employers who were not members of the Masters' Union, and were mostly pastrycooks. Messrs. McVicar, Eenner, Skinner, W. Jounnax, and St. Clair Jounnax, having agreed to the demands, were excluded from the dispute, and this left six employers in the dispute. The Board then made the following recommendation :— (1.) That nine hours and a half constitute a day's labour, including half-hour for breakfast and one hour for sponging. (2.) The rate of wages shall be as follows : Foreman, not less than £3 per week, with thirteen loaves ; second hand, not less than £2 10s. per week, with thirteen loaves ; and any others not less than £2 55., with thirteen loaves— all hands to receive dry pay. (3.) No workman to commence work before 4 a.m., except Saturdays, when he shall start at 2 a.m. After the stated hours are up, overtime shall be paid as follows: Time and a quarter up to 5.30 p.m., and time and a half after 6 p.m. (4.) No apprentice shall be allowed to any employer or firm unless two bona fide journeymen be employed ;if four men, two ; but not more than two in any firm. Each apprentice to be under sixteen years of age when bound, and to be bound for a period of five years; indentures of apprentices to be produced to the secretary of the union if required. (5.) Jobbers to receive 10s. per diem of nine hours and a half, and overtime as above stated in clause 2 hereof. (6.) Sunday sponging shall cover all statutory holidays, as expressed in rule 24 of the Baker's Union (these being nine). If workmen requested to work on holidays, time and a half to be allowed. (7.) No carter to be employed in any bakehouse—either he must be a bona fide carter or baker ; but a baker may deliver bread as long as he does not work more than the stipulated hours. (8.) That employers shall employ members of the Bakers' Union in preference to non-members, provided there are members of the union who are equally qualified with non-members to perform the particular work required to be done, and are ready and willing to undertake it when non-members are employed. (9.) That an industrial agreement be drawn up embodying the above recommendations, to be signed by all parties, to take effect from 15th November, and to last two years. The agreement is to be executed within seven days of 15th November, 1897, or the chairman shall file a report to the effect that the Board has failed to conciliate. The parties did not agree to the recommendations, and the case went before the Arbitration Court in February. Building Trades Dispute (before the Conciliation Board). —Dispute between the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners and the Wellington Builders' Association. The statement of the society was given in October list, and the case was adjourned until the society had followed the proper mode of procedure. The statement proposed amongst other things a reduction in hours of one hour per week, and an advance of -J-d. per hour on the existing rate. The Conciliation Board recommended as follows :— (1.) That forty-five hours shall constitute a week's work, divided as follows : Eight hours and a quarter for the first five days, and three hours and three-quarters on Saturday. (2.) That the rate of pay be Is. 4d. per hour for competent workmen. Men who are considered to be unable to earn that wage shall be paid such lesser sum, if any, as shall be fixed by a committee, consisting of two persons nominated by the employers and two persons nominated by the union, and, if they cannot agree, by the chairman of the Board of Conciliation. (3.) That all overtime and work on statutory holidays be paid for at the rate of time and a quarter for the first two hours, and time and a half after two hours. (4.) That on all outside contracts employers shall provide a properly secured place for the safety of employes tools and necessary sanitary arrangements. (5.) That the proportion of boys and apprentices employed by any employer who is capable of teaching carpentry and joinery, and finding constant employment for sufficient competent workmen to teach them, shall be not more than one boy to two journeymen, and so on in proportion ; and, in cases where the work is intermittent with the employer, the proportion shall not be more than one to four journeymen, or part of the first four, the time to be estimated on the basis of two-thirds of the total employment of journeymen during the year; that the proportion of inferior tradesmen who do notrate under the provisions of clause 2as earning standing wage or a modification of it shall not be more than one to every three competent journeymen or fraction of the first three. (6.) That the distance for men travelling to their work, whether living inside or outside the town boundary, shall not exceed two miles. If beyond that distance, employers shall provide conveyances or fares. (7.) That employers, in employing labour, shall not discriminate against members of this or any other properly constituted union. Employers shall not, in the engagement or dismissal of their hands, or in the conduct of their business, do anything directly or indirectly to operate to the injury of the union. Members of the union shall work in harmony with nonunion men. (8.) That the rates for all piecework shall be based on the standard wage. (9.) That every employer shall provide appliances for sharpening tools on his contracts. (10.) That the above provisions shall not apply to existing contracts. (11.) That, the Union Steamship Company and their employes having entered into an agreement as to hours of work and rate of wages, this Board does not desire to interfere with their arrangements. (12.) That an industrial agreement be drawn up and signed by all parties to this dispute within fourteen days from the 13th day of November, 1897, to last for two years, failing which the chairman do file a report that the Board has failed to conciliate. The society disagreed with the recommendations, and the case went before the Court of Arbitration in February.