EMPLOYEES IN FISH SHOPS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22520, 30 September 1938, Page 20

EMPLOYEES IN FISH SHOPS

♦ \ WELLINGTON AWARD ISSUED EMPLOYEES' REPRESENTATIVE DISSENTS (FBBSS ASSOCIATIOJJ TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, September 28. The Second Court of Arbitration has issued an award for the Wellington fish shop employees, coming into operation oh October 3 for a year. It fixes a 44-hour five and a half day week. Youths' wages range from £1 2s 6d at 15 to 151, to £3 12s Gel between 20 and 21. The wages are £5 5s for the first shopman; all others £4 15s. Overtime will be paid at time and a. half for the first four hours, and double thereafter. A week's annual holiday on full pay and 10 statutory holidays with pay are provided for. "r % A. W. Croskery* dissenting, describes the award ,as "a further contribution to the wage-reducing policy which, in my opinion, this Court has entered upon." In his opinion, it was clearly shown in evidence that the work of the first shopman was very similar in nature to that-of the same worker in a butcher's*shop who received £G ss. He said that the majority of the Court recently decided that all shop workers would be required to work a 44-hour wee"k and were to receive at least 7s 6d a week increase, but the fish shop workers had not received even that on the present rates. He was of the opinion that a 40-hour week; should, have been awarded

and that it could have been worked by a rearrangement of hours. The majority had decided that 44 hours could be worked inside a span of 46* hours, and with that he totally disagreed. "Forty-Hour Week Impracticable" In the memorandum, Mr Justice Hunter states that the Court was satisfied that it was impracticable to carry , on the industry efficiently on a 40- ' hour week for the reasons that the goods sold were' highly perishable. Saturday would be a very busy day in the industry, and it was not practicable in the area covered by the award to reduce the hours, and the public would be seriously inconvenienced if unable to abtain their supplies. He notes Mr Croskery's dissent and says that as regards wages, it.was a reiteration of Mr Croskery's statement in dissenting from the shop assistants' award on September 16. where he expressed the opinion that the Court had set out on a wage-reducing campaign. In that case, the Court awarded an increase of 7s 6d a week to senior male assistants and 5s a week to senior female assistants and increases to juniors. His Honour. recalled the Court's specific declaration of adherence to the terms of the Court of Arbitration's pronouncement of December 2. That was a general increase in wages of 5s a week. He said that when the Second Court was faced with the task of making a Dominion award for grocers' shop assistants and chemists, after conferring with Mr. Justice O'Regan, if took into account the fact that workers in retail trades h'ad usually worked longer hours than in other trades and that as it. was necessary to work on Saturday mornings, were awarded an increase of 7s 6d a week. First Award Issued : j In the case of the Wellington fish : {shops, the Court was-unable to fix the ji

wages simply by adding 7s 6d to the existing rates- because this was the first award in the industry. The 5s for the first shopman was fixed by taking the wage of the senior grocers' assistant or senior shop assistant in the recent awards, which was raised from £4 15s to £5 2s 6d by the 7s 6d above mentioned and adding thereto a further 2s 6d. This was considered fair and having regard to the work done and the hours. The difference of 10s a week between the first shopman and others was considered reasonable and in line with similar cases, and the wages of the latter were fixed at £4 15s. BUTCHERS' AWARD WAGES INCREASED (PRKSS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, September 29. An increase of 7s 6d a week to adult workers is granted by the Second Court of Arbitration in the Wellington butchers' award, issued to-day, as follows: > :. v First shopmen or men in charge, £6 ss; second. £5 12s 6d; first smallgoods men, £6 ss; slaughtermen, £5 12s 6d; men in charge of hawking carts, £5 12s-6d; all other workers, £5 3s 6d; youths from £1 8s at 15 to £3 between 19 and 21. A 44-hour week is provided for, and the award operates from October 3. Mr A. W. Croskery. employees' assessor, dissents regarding the hours provisions and holidays. The hours provisions are between 7.30 and 4.30, Or 8 to 5 on five days, and 8 to noon on the weekly halfholiday. Provision" is' made for work before 7.30. There is a schedule of statutory holidays for different districts, and an annual week's holiday - on • full. pay.