SEQUEL TO DEDUCTIONS MADE IN PAY

Chronicle (Levin), 11 December 1947, Page 6

SEQUEL TO DEDUCTIONS MADE IN PAY

Press Association)

(Per

WELLINGTON, Dec. 10. Unless their demands concerning wage deductions are met by tomorrow evening, bakers at the Golden (Jrust Bakery, Miramar, will not report for work on Monday. Their decision, whieh was made by secret ballot, was conveyed to the management yesterday afternoon. Only six bakers are inv'olved in. Wei iington, but more are eoncerned" in a similar disjmte whieh has arisen at Stacey and Hawker's Bakery, in Christ chureh. The outcome is likely to afl'eet the, system of payment at numbers oi bakeries throughout New Zeaiand. It is alleged by the workfefs that some employers deduct a portion of their pay if they refuse to bake on Saturdays, and they demand the cessatiou • of the practice. The award allows baking on six davs of the week, and a few employers are alleged to have adopted a system of rostering men for , Saturday work and deducting sums for defection. The bakery trade wbrkers argue that enougli bread ean be baked in a five-day week, without Saturday work, and they have declined a request by the niaster bakers for Saturday work during Christmas and« the New Year. One of the complaints of the eruploy ers is that a five-day week lacks fiexibility for the peculiar needs of the baking industry, and it is said that overtime has been paid on certain days even when the totai time worked has not exceedeu 40 hours a week. Con tentions over tlie worlcing week in thc industry are of long stauding. The dispute is of interest because it is the lirst occasion, in Wellington, in whieh workers have proposed, after holding a secret ballot, action by striking. In this, they have observed the recent am.endment to the hulustrial Coueiliation and Arbitration Act. Gousult ations were reported this afternoon to be proceeding. with th.; ob,ject of reaeiiiug a settleinent, but it was stated that they liad not yet reached the stage-of actual negotiation between the employers and thc union. 1/ n t i 1 the results of the consultations are known, possibly by tomorrow evening, it is unlikely that any statement will be made about tlie position. It was learned this afternoon that the Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch brunchcs of the Bakers' Union are to consider the wage dcduetion practice at their quarterly meetings next Saturdav. It was stated that tlie action of Wellington and Christchurch workers eoncerned in the practice, by expressing their objeetion in a secret ballot, wouid probably have the approval of niembers generaliy.