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METAL TRADES
KA
EVIDENCE IN ADELAIDE
• ...:·
PieceWork Clause Supported
Judge Beeby sat in the Federal Arbitra
tion Court today to take further evidence
for tlhe framing of awards in the metal
trades to replace those which have ex
pired.
.Logs have been served by metal trades
unions, and the court is hiaring all claims
together. Employers in New South Wales
arid Victoria have filed claimsr'ivhich seelk
entire reclassification of employes and the
incbrporation of clauses dealing with
piecework.
Represgenritatives of Unions
Mr. S. C. G. Wright appeared for the
South Australian Employers' Federation.
Unions were represented as follows:
MIessrs. C. E. MIundy (Amalgamated En
gineering Union), Mi. J. Connington,
MI.L.C. (Federated Ironworkers' Associa
tion of Australia), J. D. Marriott (Federal
secretary), M. L. Collaton (South Austra
lian branch), J. O'Toole (general secretary
of the Federated Society of Boilermakers
and Iron Shipbuilders of Australia), W. C.
Myhill (Metal Trades Employes' Associa
tion), J. Hooke (Federated Moulders
(Metals) Union of Australasia), D.
McNamara (Australasian Engineers'
Union) and D. McClelland (Blacksmiths'
Union).
Mr. Wright told the court that hMr.
Alfred A. Simpson (chairman of directors
of A. Simpson & Sons Limited) was the
most typical emnployer in the industry inl
South Australia. He could give a com
parison, in regard to piecework.
MIr. Simpson stated in evidence that his
company had about 500 employes, male
and female. It desired no change in cIas
sification under which it worked, as a
dispute had never been experienced.
Trade now was worse than it had been
since 1914, he said, but probably there
Was less slackness than in other similar
trades. It was not like engineering, which
depended on contracts. Of their trade
85 per cent. was done in South Auistralia.
and the remainder with Broken Hill and
the Victorian border. There was no over
seas trade.
Payment by Results
Mr. Simpson said that in addition. to
straight:out piecework his company utilised
'other systems of payment byresults. Some
employes worked part time and part piece
work. Those on time were anxious to re
turn to piecework. .
His Honor-It is a popular misconceptionii
in Australia that piecework does not exist,
whereas it is in operation in several States.
M-Iany statements are made that what Aus
tralia needs is piecework. The fact that
so many firms use that system is over
looked.
Mr. Wright- In at least half of the in
dustries there is some such system in
operation .
,. The hearing is piroceeding.
Meeting .of twd unions interested in the
metal trades' case now before the Federal
'Arbitration Court in' Adelaide will be held
tonight,
*Messrs. MI. J. Connington: M.L.C. (New
South WVales) and H. -Denford (Federal
delegate) will address members of the
South Australian branch of the Federated
.Tronworkers' Association. of Australia.
Mr. Connington is advocate for the union.
Mr. D. McNamara (Federal advocate of
the Australasian Society of Engineers)
will slpeak to South Australian members.
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