CLERICAL WORKERS SEEK NEW AWARD

Chronicle (Levin), 24 September 1946, Page 5

CLERICAL WORKERS SEEK NEW AWARD

•Press Association

By Telegraph—

WELLINGTON, Sept. 23. Decision was reserved in the Arbitration Court today on the claims for new awards for the New Zealand Clerical Workers' Union. The main claims concemed are wage rates, length of period of training, the elimination of the " conuuencing under 16 years" line in the male wages sche dule, annual holidays, casual rates, additional payinent for machine operaiors, and morning and afternoon tea intervals: The employers asked that the rates of the present award be niaintained. Mr. A. S. Herring, the national secretary, was the workers' advocate, and Mr. C. G, Camp appeared for the employers. In elaiming that additional rates were needed 1o bring the clerical work ers to their former relative positiou with other workers, Mr. Herring said that if i-oiulitions created during the war continued the industry would lieeomc virtually closed to males. He compared the rates in the early years to the clerical workers with those in trades where the equivalent standard 01 education was not needed, and with the Publie Service. Coinpared witli the shop assistants, the clerical workers in the past few years had lost their relative position to the exfent. of 8s (id for males, and 11s for females a week. Mr. Herring claimed t hat the employers were paying "baits" of 10s or £1 a week to attract staft". The slabilisation regula tions were being broken both for casual and weekly employees. He cited tlic instances of shorthand typists Iming ad vertised for at £6 a week, which was not being paid in Deeember, 1942. Afr. Camp said that the claims seemed tr bt? Jtased . ofv the Publie Service biiter.- "Cvlnch tlie ■ Cnn'rt liad . no jurisdictfbYt' i:6.h.' ^pftymeiits, ' JTe elaimed that thev 'Could -fiof 'be 'hased -bri eonditions brought about by the abnonnal co^di tions of the pa'st few years. The hours of work were less tlian 38 per week already, and tea intervais would leducc that by another 100 minutes a week.