The Furniture Trade.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXX, Issue XI, 14 March 1903, Page 757

The Furniture Trade.

A DEADLOCK. ONE HUNDRED MEN IDLE. A new phase in connection with the working of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act in Auckland has developed as an outcome of the award made in the furniture trade. In common with many other workers in Auckland tho union in the furniture trade has been moving in the direction of securing the same pay for similar work, when performed in Auckland, as is paid in the South. As an outcome of these efforts, the Arbitration Court raised the rate of pay from 1/1 to 1/3 per hour, in the majority of cases. This award was to conic into force from the first of March. Under the Act there is perfect freedom allowed both masters and men, on at least one point. If the rate of pay is fixed too low, the men have the option of declining to accept it, and may look elsewhere for employment.

Similarly, the employers while forced to abide by the award if they do employ men, are not compelled to furnish employment if they choose to stop operations. In the ease of the award in the furniture trade the Employers’ Association, feeling dissatisfied with the decision of the Court as regards a number of tho men employed took united action, and informed them that their services would not be required. The result is that about one hundred men in the furniture trade are at present out of employment. In explaining the matter one employer said to a “Star” representative: “The position is quite simple ns far as we are concerned. The men who are worth the wage fixed have boon retained. Those whom we consider not able to earn the wage have been dismissed. It is just a matter of will it pay? We have decided that certain men cannot earn that wage and we have dispensed with their services. It is not a lock-out, because the men who can earn the money have not been dismissed.”

All the principal furniture manufacturing firms in the city have acted together in this matter, including Hie D.S.C. Company, Tonson Garlick Company, Winks and Hall, and T. and H. Cooke. A “Star” representative waited on several employers, and learned that their contention is practically that the award of the Court was not warranted in the present state of trade, and that therefore they cannot pay it. It Is also asserted that the award is equal to an advance of about 18 per eent. It is also contended that the wages paid previously were equal to those ruling in the South and in Australia, and were therefore, generally speaking, satisfactory to the men. This latter assertion is, however, contradicted by the union leaders, who naturally contend that if the mon were satisfied they would not have appealed to tho Court. Another manufacturer, when interviewed, said: “We contend that while some men are worth the wages fixed by the Court, others are not. Tn most cases we have given the rise, lieonuse the mon were getting within a penny of it before, but in a few instances, where men just

out of their time, were not considered to be worth the 1/ per hour demanded wo have parted with them. An important factor at the moment, is the depressed state of the furniture trade in Melbourne, which enables articles to be imported at very low rates. Referring to this the manager of one firm said: “I can show you suites of furniture in the store here now that we have imported from Australia and paid the duly of 25 per cent., yet the laid-dowu eost is considerably less than what it would be to produce the same articles here at the increased rate of wages. The position is a more serious one for the workers than for the manufacturers. as orders have already liven given for consignments of Australianmade furniture, because stocks can be speedily replenished at prices that leave a larger margin of profit for the importing than is possible at present, when manufacturing.” All the employers interviewed expressed the intention of standing firm and seing the matter out to the bitter end. An endeavour has also been made to enlist ilie co-operation of Southern manufacturers with those in Auckland. A meeting of employers will be hold to-morrow, at which further developments are expected. THE MEN’S SIDE. The “Star” representative next went to interview the Secretary to the United Furniture Trades’ Union. Mr Tyson was found in his office. High-street, sot rounded bv a number of the members of the Union. “Wo are asking." said Mr Tyson, “that the men in Auckland should receive Che same pay as in other parts of the colony, which I hold to be only fair. In Wellington the rate of pay for cabinet-makers, polishers, turners, and polishers, is 1/3 per hour. In Christ, church and Dunedin, cabinetmakers get 1/3 per hour, polishers and turners 1/2 per hour. In Auckland prior to this award, the pay was 1/1 per hour. In spite of this award, I atnin a position to state that cabinet work Ts still made in Auckland and sent South. Another matter is that many men who were receiving £2 15/ per week, have now been tal.en on at tho minimum rate fixed by 'he award. In one or two instances the rates fixed in the Auckland award am still below those in the South. The men now dismissed are now called incompetent workmen, although prior to this award they wore receiving the minimum rate of 1/1 per hour. Of course it is not a complete lock-out, because the employers have kept on what may be termed the. foremen. The branches of the Union affected so far are cabinetmakers. upholsteres, turners, carvers ami polishers. We had a meeting of the Union hist night, to go into the whole matter, and a committee was appointed to deal with any schedule of rates which the employers may be willing to submit in respect, to those mon whom they consider are not entitled to the full minimum rate of pay fixed under the award. The Union lias no wish to force matters. If a man is incompetent, ho cannot, expect full pay. We have applied to employers for their schedules, but only a few have sent them in. What I complain of most, is that men who have been trained in one factory for seven years are now dismissed on tho plea that they have not learned their trade enough to enable them to earn the minimum rate of pay. I moan to say there is something wrong in tho system of training when you see a number of such cases in one firm, or else tho plea is not a fair one as far ns the men’s earning capacity is concerned.” UNIONS WILL STAND TOGETHER. Discussing the matter with some of the leading unionists, the “Star” representative learned that the unions arc prepared to stand together. “If it conies to a lock-out,” said one prominent unionist, “then we must stand together. There are now 20 unioiA affiliated, and I have not the slighteM doubt but that if need arrives tho. men will readily respond to a levy in order to assist their comrades who have been thrown out of work.