"FIGHT TO A FINISH."

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 743, 16 February 1910, Page 7

"FIGHT TO A FINISH."

HOTEL SERVANTS' DJSRUTE, 77/ S; ; A CONFERENCE THAT IIiLED.:.: A. conference of representatives of the ;??; Dunedin, Auckland, and , Wellington .."!.'.\v : . hotel employees': unions;/and .. of. 'repre-'?;v=7? sentatives of . the licensed: victuallers': :;,';-.7 associations.of the four.main'-.centres' met; ?7:-?:/ in, Wellington yesterday for the? purpose*'"■.■■ -7;..:; of attempting a settlement,of/the; .work-;/. '■'■% ; i.ng conditions in the .trade in: the oitioi'!< ;;'.;? mentioned.''.-The conference, to ':. which': 7 ;;;?: the press were not admitted, lasted.loss/.'.': than: two hours..; Mr. P. 'Hally./lndus-??;?;: , trial; Commissioner, presided, .-.but failed;;:' ':■•:■; ■ to - bring the parties together on even, the? ■ ■ .'.'V. .. .minor, points of difference." :> ? ;7 77 7 \ ■''■■:■'■':':.s i 'Right : at:'the outset the employers ■ an-.\ V: i.nounoedtheir intention of not giving 'any; ■•7/;? ; : .; 'concessions on' the fisting' awards: in ..';:'■ < : tho ".'• i ?d'is'hy. while the repraentatiyesiv';/?/; : of .the unions are firmly declared that ■ ' unless the hotolkeepera .were prepared; to. v..::,. agree' to' a. reduction of the" honw of :.labour'and to extra,' holidays;:therewa3(. : -' ; v'; ; no! hope of an amicable.settlement.VAn :.":■' ; hour's :-desultory ■ discussion;' failed 7'tb'-v-..'.- : 3';.- ; smooth- out .the situation, 7 and ..the, con.;:''',.' ;■' ; ference ended, with: a .vote;of thanks;to t'yfy Mr; Hally for-presiding.. . ";7 77?;?;; ?: .'7// /;; STATEMENT- 'by;:S.ECRETARV; ll;&^4 • ; :V ,;"EXTREME' BITTmNESS/',:';:7? >'. the close : of: 4ne/meetina'.:/': :t > drey, secretary of.the Cooks'/: 7 7 a F,;V a i te f s Union; and also secretary' ''-V- ,- .ot the' federation,';made. the following : " - ■■ statemen,t:-"The conference was'brought'.'- ; ?/7 about by., the: federation, ' w.hich; taking-//?? .advantage, of the.unique,position arising- '■■■■■' ?' ■ in .the trade through, practically theses-'' "-''■'■H' ; .juration ;olthe,awards in the',three'cen- "'/'•-'■ tres, .hoped that 7 an agreement would be"■':''' arrived, at whioh' would in effect 1 ■ '"• the award in*the trade in Dunedin,' Wei-' '■ ,:, hngton, and, Auckland.' What we wanted- i 'Vv : ''-' ;■ was a;common' award in,the trade. The-''■ 7': position'inAuckland is that by a; local///- -'V- .. technicality; the 'award, 7 which' -is being ■ : ■'.. generally fairly, well; observed7by , ployerß,;,has;not;the force of.'lawVtehind';;/' 7 " ■•: {?•'"■'4 s , a result: the union; there would- '&& ■■■ have had,;sooner.or later, to formally'file'''• '■•''' '■■& .;■ for.a.fresh awaTd.- , :ln..Duneaiß''/'i//i i ... the award.- governing the. : hotel trade ex- -r. • ', Pires at\the : end- of the current; month,''■'•'. •'? ; whilst the term for which the, local, award '','• - : was : made;.expired on Janhaiy' 31 -last.' ; ■' '■ :.- Hence the reason for the federation ; tab'/;: v ;../ : ..- lng'.the inihative 'on behalf of.the three--' ;';'/'- unions,.'and;its attemptte-bring:about.a/'; : representative' conference- to:.fix 'the'-6ob-\ ;">'' .: ditions without ;the;intervention;:of ■ thi'-'-S/i -;" Court' or outsiders/:' ■' ',-'■:': \"i''X: : '/-v' ;^-: -/-'/•" : -/- .' ; "When;approached on : the'.'subjecti^ : .. employers,:-agreed without hesitation'to '-.-i/'f : the: conference,'. and,-the / -.. /- ! ' mitted-to them a set of, demands' on 'the *■/''■"•,' : .understanding .that these; demands would;// / I ferm the basis of a.new agreement'to'!be. .:■ V" i. arrived' at. For. their'., part, •'■ the, unions -';"/;;/. took the'matter'very, seriously right 'from i; : /h - ,'-' the commencement of : and,went to;considerable trouble to''^J'' : -'/.|/fe :■' a ; concensus? of opinion' as ; to the'log'. to r - ; - '. v- } .be submitted. : .;,'..-■'.'■..:. i; ' ; /:/•: >' )' -:, "So-:far': as ■'; our.: ■ representatives were':' •; /-- v j concerned,'.we went, there.with.the belief/-'- :'.;/ j that the employers, were -:prepaied.' ; to/v: ./ ; grant, some concessions; and,'if not .fully "i"';.:' V agree: with aU,:our\demands,'. to;,at least. ,'/../' : meet us; in-.;an.;dmicable spirit.'':We;ira /■,''.■ - all disappointed;and' dissatisfied/with.the.,'/ v;'.'■. ,- result:.-,. The. wholo'-business.has; meant';;■■? ; i; ,' considerable expense, .ands.inconvenience .!■'/;/ to ,the ÜBions,. and after" the:nattitudevK::;/ adopted by 1 the employers'at/the ! confer-^:;-///- . ,ence;we'feel, that ; we have been niisled^byX .'■: :/;/; . them,- : and : that right 7 from': the outset/'- -//V/ .their.-intention'-was toVrely.on the Court;- ./ris ■■■ and 7 not; to consider any.'thought of media- .ft/"/! ; tion.:;:.,'.:"■ ;-;.'„■'.;. -,:;:'";'-' :: :.';':..- /v.:;': - : v V ":': L : :\ ;i ; '- /i'.'lt,looks.as though the.employers pur- ..';:';.; - posely" agreed' to'/ the' conference.- vdth; the .~'.';.';;'' object of draining the union funds; at the.;'/';'/ '■ same; time 1 recognising that;no seUlement./ 'V/; ■" could -be effected because of;their deter-' '■■■":'■■:} • j 'rfiination 'to: stick-to*■ the/old'-'awaTd. .As .'.■ ,'/ i' ;I -said -in .conference :■■ this . morning,'-vit'/; i* {would'-hav'e;.;:: .been :.more;'m'jnly,:aid/v..'-'// ! straightforward had the'employers' at .commencement :pf,,the negotiations inti-;,.'■.;"X ; mated- to-me;: Oieir;intehtioh-'6f'fighting, '- '■"■;:'. : the: case: o'ut'ih. the'; Court.'". 1 We went' to'./""/'; the;conference.in a reasonable::frame'.of '/.'': V / mind; and:that conference, "which"should :'■'■•_;.% ~ have tended to .better • the- relations be- :;.:,''..; > tween'the workers and the pnbljcaris, has '//,//: 5 :res.nl:tediin a'feeling"of- extreme bitter- •'.;.■;;::.--- ; '?■;). j. :v: ''As' .all; of lour; representatives;;agree, ,-.y;i I ,'it;,'seryes. .us '■ right for going:' cap; in nana: 't- JJV „ to, the. hotelkeepe'rsi:./ They. have'always/. •;,< Sn J as ; a;class: of employers, /; ?;-:■/ ; they.have'.shown' niore ' opposition;to the .'/ : : ';7: ; .demands: of the wdrkers'than any ; other: '',: /■;; ; body'of business.men have.-'.lt is a fight :, v.-. >' . to';a: finish,-.'and apparently 'will' be car- ■•'<&;'. i rie'd-;even further.than ;the Arbitration ■'■■(■■>'■■■■•} I .Court..';. .',;. ;•.-;;;::.•:■■;/'.,-.-.•.: ! :\. "For /our; part, -.'each union .will .':'./i ' proceed straightway, to file separate. dis- ; :.',-:'-: ! i-pntesija'ndrif.the old.award'is toibe"■!«-■/;:/Ik? : imposed it willibe doho'.by order-'of.Jthe'; ; "'vl : Courtand not by weai-kneed'acquiescehcel./rv'-S ' : on' the.-.part: of, the .' workers in -the 'in-. ■'.'v-V; . dustry or ; their. officers.'.. .Usually, we,-are/; .- iy.i : : told that it- is the'wdrke'rswho lack'the, Z 1 :/^ conpijatory. spirit,,.'but; i 'such/is:.-ndt.- the.'-' 1 ;-:: 7 -;: 'positioh':to-day.'.:lf the",uhiohs.-weie'pre-/- '•:-:•:, ' ; pared- to i accept existing' conditions,'-, then -;' /'" /.': • obviously thero would have been ho 'need'i ■' i ' for the . expense 'and trouble. of: issuing';. ■.-Z : 4 '■ a';.'fresh-set -of '-demands/; the.'. >'■" : \ '■ -award? continues in'-operation 'iuntil? su-/..'?: , : J : perseded,by another;award.';;,,There.''is no/-; .:./ conciliation' - exhibited ...when?;- employers?*, : ;••? - will; come, alohg ? 'with.'. a straight-out de-' |; :':// claration' that 'it is.to; be- the: old; award.;;.■;::;'/ or : nothing.;;';.;■ ;■'■:'•."■''';■?' V ; ?-'?';''?'/?'.'??/ --"'"vlr ~ : ;."We;;submit.'that;we. havo;a/genuine/'.'-.-:.",;. ' grievanoe .'in the matter. of long hours,'.'.;■■;:, : ; short, wages,', and holidays-^-a'■'• grievance ; -':i .which is generallyrecdgnised;by the.p'ub- V'-)J Ho, .but is glossed over;by"fhe hotel-; ,'■-:>.* ; keepers. at, election time. -. A? week; of 65,• ■ ■'..; : ; '■ hours', for a, woman. in New? Zealand .is.':".'?'-'--..' ; ; tho; mark,-/but•','.?the?, hoteU: .;:;/ , Ikeepers seem .to.laok? all sense of^.prbpor-?i'S I tipn in respect-of'. support: and! considera-? ■. ■? Ui. ] ;tion>.6f : .their;.; employees^ 1 .'For-.thevpastv";;-?; .' -two.'years :the., union', has? attemjjteif;to?// ? ; * avoid'all friction in connection .with the:-'..',??:; ;working of 'the : award;.nnd time-and'time;?;.':'; again.l.have agreed to'overlook delibeiv", ;,;.;;? ate breaches of' the Act:'» that. it. could' 7 .';?;; not' 'bs ;'said, ! as in', .the' past;:- that?the:7 ?;? ;uiiion ! was .out. looking: for:trouble, -vln '77-'? i ireturn.fof that considerationswe: have; re- ;.;;,-,' ceived the:treatment-meted out tonis.to-; ?''77 day? ;Lsay,again; noW:that itis all'oyer.":. ;■ss"< that we -were ; foolish to expect any : cdn-'i; :■ ;, : ,5 Isideration. from;the 1 hotelkeep'ers,.'and.r:;7-?.:.; ;rccognise,-'and so-do-all the;members, that-.?:?;-."-; .whatever', concessions "we-secure from the.;' ;;'■-!:?. ;hotelkeepers : can 7 -only 7. be? obtained"' 7 -;;?; ] through.: agitation;: baoked .. up■; - by,: ? the:?:?'?;; weight' of public.opinion." -■■■ 7->yj" ,7?;'-:? : 7; 7