LABOR NOTES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2562, 24 July 1909, Page 7

LABOR NOTES.

ITEMS OF INTEREST.

(By Unionist.)

There are eight unions (says the Wellington. "Post,”) mostly connected with the building trades, affiliated to the East Coast Trades Council, which is located in Gisborne. Last year this council was not represented at the annual conference of trades Councils, but at tha forthcoming it will ho represented by Mr J. Hi. Hall, its secretary, who has been elected as delegate unopposed. The Industrial Court in Sydney has agreed to appoint a Wages Board to create a standard of hours and wages for cabmen. In. making the application the secretary of the Union said that some of the men worked as many as 140 hours per week.

The Labor Department has issued a circular showing the procedure necessary for the purpose of claiming compensation under the Workers’ Compensation Act, 1908. Workers who may have the misfortune to meet with an accident during their iiorus of labor require to know the regulations governing; clairqs for compensation, otherwise thev may be deprived of the benefits. Failure to commence action within the specified time shall be no bar, - however, if the Court is of opinion that there has been reasonable cause for same.

The Greymouth Wharf Laborers' Union held its annual" meeting last month. According to the report submitted, the membership of the organisation now stands at 257, and the funds have been increased by an additional £36. . Mr Goodall has been elected president of the union for the .ensuing term, and Mr Jackson reelected secretary unopposed. The meeting resolved to congratulate the Hon. Mr Guinness upon his re-election as Speaker cf the House of Representatives.

On July 27th the South Australian Labor Congress will bo held at the Trades Hall, Adelaide. The session will extend over three days, many important questions being on the agenda paper. Apart from the strike (says the Melbourne Call) the Amalgamated Carpenters’ Union paid to its members last year the sum of £IBO,OOOO in unemployed, superannuation, and other benefits. The Workers’ Political League, Tasmania, have just concluded the sixth annual conference. An interesting motion was proposed:—“That the Public Health Act be so. amended to provide that every owner of a house, before letting it out for occupation, shall produce a certificate from the local health officer that it is fit for human habitation.” The mover agreed to include “'the cost} of same to be paid by Hie municipality.” The matter was referred to the parliamentary partv to deal with.

The inception of the aw;ard in the Svdney hotel trade, secured by the Hotel and Restaurant Employees’ Union, meant greatly improved conditions to a large/ proportion of the workers concerned. During the hearing of the dispute it was stated that the membership of the union did not exceed 100. According to a letter received, the organisation is rapidly increasing in numbers. It has now a membership of 700, and attempts are being made to extend the Sydney award to other towns.

The Adelaide Carpenters and Joiners’ Wages Board has fixed the minimum wages of carpenters and joiners at £2 18s lOd per week of 48 hours, the number of improvers being one to each six journeymen receiving the -minimum wage. Apprentices, first year, 7s 6d per week each; second year, 10s; third year, 15s; fourth year, 18s; fifth year, 22s 2d; sixth year, 27s 6d; and thereafter the minimum wage for a journeyman. Improvers—l4 years of age, but not 15 years'of age, 6s 9d per week eaeh; 15 but not 16, 8s 8d; 16 years but not 17, 10s 6d; 17 years, but not 18, 13s sd; 18 years, but not 19, 18s; 19 years, but not • 20, 225; 20 years, hut not 21, 27s lOd: and thereafter the minimum wage for a journeyman. The Wages Board set up to determine the working conditions of the employees in the Brisbane tramway service has delivered its award. It is provided that the hours of labor shall in no instance exceed 51 per week. Employees having one to two years’ service are to be paid a minimum wage of ll|d .per hour; those of five years and upwards not less than Is Id per hour, all time worked over 51 hours to he paid for at the rate of time and a quarter.. Men waiting trips for a period not exceeding one hour shall be paid the ordinary rate. Head fitters shall be paid Is 3fd per hour; assistant fitters Is o^d; signal-men 8s per day; trackmen 9§d .per hour; point boys 4)d per hour. The financial half-year of the Wellington Painters’ union closed on 18th June last. The balance-sheet for. the period shows that the receipts for the six months totalled £192 9s' 6d, and the expenditure £lsl 19s lid. The union finishes the period with a cash balance of £420 0s 6d.

As expected, Mr Ityan, the Labor candidate succeeded in retaining the Torrens seat for his party at the by-elec-tion in South Australia last week. The position of parties in the House of Assembly of the State now is: Government 9, Labor 20, and late Oppositionists 13. Labor while avowing that it is not anxious 'to put the country to the expense of a general election, has definitely declared its refusal to coalesce with tho Ministerialists. To* retain office Mr Peake, present Premier will need to receive the continuous support of Mr Butler and his following of twelve. Whether he will have that

support, in view of the fact that in arranging his Cabinet, Mr. Peake entirely ignored Mr Butler’s party, remains a doubtful question. Bishop Stretch, recently in Melbourne, made use of these words on tho “living wage, 55 as applied to a clergyman:' “What is a fair living wage for a clergyman with a family:, and whose work necessitates the keeping of two horses? ‘Everything has gone up, hut religion,’ someone said to me the other day. High prices are a luxury to the seller, but spell perplexity to- the housekeeper with a small fixed income: Do -we want to -go back to a clergy compelled to remain rmmarried? If prices go up, so should the incomes! of the clergy.” . j Drivers of bakers’ carts in Adelaide have just secured an award from the Wages Board set up to determine the •working conditions in the trade. The - hoard has fixed a minimum wage of £2 2s 6d for adult workers, and a minimum wage of 25s weekly for all -youths over 17 years of age. Overtim9 is to be paid for at the rate of Is per hour,. ttflgin no case has tho week s ordinary\ik to, exceed 58 hours. , .