The Film Renter and Moving Picture News (May-Jun 1923)

46 THE FILM RENTER & MOVING PICTURE NEWS. May 26, 1923. FACING THE MUSIC IN NEWCASTLE. C.E.A. v. M.U, in Wages Dispute. (From our Newcastle Correspondent). Sa result of the application of the members of the Northern Branch of the C.Ji.A. for a reduction of the salaries of the musicians, the powers of the Conciliation Board to deal with this matter have been questioned by the representatives of the musicians. ‘This was brought to the notice of the members of the Northern Branch at their meeting held in Newcastle, on Tuesday, May 15 (Mr. W. Carr, Seaton Delaval, presiding), by Mr. J. S. Snell, chairman of the Board, when he submitted a report on the proceedings of the last meeting ot the Board. Demand and Counter-demand. Mr. Snell remarked that the Board was cnlled together for the purpose of considering the application of the exhibitors for a reduction of wages, and the counter-demand by the musicians for an increase. Mr. J. B. Williams, London, the general secretary of the Musicians’ Union, attended and acted as spokesinau for the employees. ‘The attitude taken up by Mr. Williams had ereated a curious situation. He pointed out that under the constitution the Conciliation Board had no power to deal with the matter, and the exhibitors on the Conciliation Board, on considering the constitution, had to agree with Mr. Williams. It appeard that they lad been out of order ever since they commenced, but Mr, Snell added that he thought if was peculiar that this obstructionist point had not been raised while the wages were going up, and it was significant that it had come up only when wages appeared likely to fall. Mr. Snell then presented to the mecting a formal report of the proceedings, extracts from which are as follows: Mr. A. J. Johnson (district secretary of the M.U.) read correspondence from the C.E.A., giving three months’ notice for the termination of the working agreement, to take effect on May 28, 1923; also a further letter from the C.E.A., making application for a reduction in wages of 124 per cent. A letter from the M.U. to the C.E.A., accepting the notice for termination of the agreement, and asking for an increase of 10 per cent. on wages, was also read. The application of the C.B.A. for a 124 per cont. reduction was considered first. Action of the Conciliation Board. Mr. J. B. Williams, general secretary of the M.U., opened the discussion by stating that he had been considering the constitution of the Conciliation Board, and he had come to the conclusion that the Board were acting quite contrary to their constitution, by considering questions of reductions or increases before they had been considered locally. He maintained that the constitution provided for all such matters to be considered locally, that is, by any particular district, and if the district failed to agree, then the matter should be remitted to the Board for fina] decision. This aspect of the matter was favourably received by the einployers’ side of the Board, but the cmployers’ secretary (Mr. Alfred Smith) pointed out that while the musicians had the area mapped out into districts. the C.E.A, only recognised one district, which was the area of the Branch. He further stated that it would be necessary for the C.H.A. to create districts to coincide with the districts of the M.U. if it was desived to carry out the suggestion of Mr. Williams. Mr. Williams, referring to the notice for the termination of the agreement, said it would be as well to make the matter quite legal, to serve cach musician with a fortniylit's notice that the agrement was to be terminated. At this point the employers retired for a few mitutes to consider the position, and on their return their seeretary reported that they agreed that individual notices were to be served on the musicians, terminating the present agreement. Mr. Smith also requested the Musicians’ Union secretary to intorm their members that while they would be receiving the fortuight’s notice, this did not mean that they were to leave their employment. The employers’ secretary further stated that the position uf district settlements would be considered by the members of the branch at their next meeting. In the meantime it was agreed that the M.U. secretary should furnish the employers’ secretary with details of the branches of the M.U. in this area, together with the theatres covered by such branches. Occasional Matinees. Mr. J. B. Williams asked what was meant in the agreement by the term ‘* occasional matinee.’’ The employers’ secretary said it was used to differentiate between the matinee of the continuous show and the ordinary occasional matinee of tlie twice nightly or the nightly continuous show matinees. The musicians referred to a recent matinee held at the King's Theatre, Sunderland, and claimed that it was a specinl matinee and should be paid for as a full evening’s performance would be. The employers could not accept this interpretution, and the employers’ definition was accepted by the musicians’ side of the Board. The employers, in giving notice of the reduction, had also stated that in any future agreements they were desirous that the hours of employment of musicians should be such as would cover the time necessary to complete the program. Mr. J. S. Snell said that this request was made not to get more time out of the musicians, but to prevent much unpleasantness which had been caused in the past by musicians leaving their places before the completion of the performance when it had occasionally happened that the show lasted a few minutes longer than usual. Mr. Williams expressed his surprise that any musician should leave the orchestra before the completion of the performance. If the four hours were execeded by a few minutes one or two nights they should be taken as a balance when in that week the time tuken for the performance came within the four hours. The Constitution of 1918. Mr. Snell supplemented the report by remarking that he must call the members’ attention to the clauses in the constitution of the Conciliation Board under which the objection of the musicians had been raised. He pointed out that when the constitution was drawn up in February, 1918—sinee when it had been acted upon all along—the exhibitors were parties to it. The clauses were as follows : That the object of the Board shall be to deal with all applications for increases or adjustments of musicians’ salaries or conditions of employment at kinema houses within the area, -provided that always that agreement cannot be arrived at in