INDUSTRIAL DISPUTE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1401, 29 March 1912, Page 2

INDUSTRIAL DISPUTE.

GROCERS' DEMANDS. LIST OF CLAIMS MADE. The industrial dispute between the Wdlingtou Grocers' Industrial Union cf Workers and 205 white and CO Chinese grocers trading in Die :'y cf Vi'ii'instou, will be heard before Mr. j'. I'iiily, Conciliation Commissi »ikr, j; his chambers, To Aio Post Office, Wellington, on April '2, at 10 a.m. The {allowing is a I general statement of the nature of (lie dispute and detailed statement of claims made :— Hours of Wcrk. (a) An ordinary week's work for all workers covered by this award shall consist of fifty-one hours. Employers shall arrange the working hours of their respective businesses so that ordinary working hours shall on four days of the week be between 8 a.m. and fi p.m. on the day of the statutory linlf-holidav between the hours of 8 a.m. and 12 noon, and on the day of the late night between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. (b) For the purpose of stocktaking or other special work, sneh working hours may, with the previous written consent of the inspector, be extended, but not for more than three hours in any one day, or not more than thirty days" in any' one year,- or on any half-holiday. Provided that on every such occasion tlio assistant shall not be employed for more than four hours continuously without having half an hour off. (c) The employment shall be a weekly one, and no deduction shall bo made from | the week's wages for holidays or for time not lost through the default of the worker. Overtime, (a) All time worked in any one week beyond the said weekly period" of fifty-one hours, and in accordance with section (b) above, shall be considered overtime, and shall be paid for at the rate of time and a half. (b) If an assistant is required to work on any of the holidays hereinafter set forth he shall be paid double time. Sunday Work. An employer shall not require an assistant to work on Sunday, excepting that those workers whoso duty it is to attend the employer's horses may be required to work for not more than one hour at that, employment on Sundays. Such work to he counted in the week's ordinary working hours. Classification. Only four classes of workers shall be recognised under the award, viz., journeymen assistants, carter assistants, junior assistants, and apprentice assistants. The general term assistant, where used in this award, means any person, whether a member of the employer's family or not, who is employed by the occupier of a shop in or about t ho business of the shop, and ineludfs all persons iu the occupier's employment who are engaged ill selling or delivering his goods, or canvassing for orders for his goods, whether such persons are lit any time actually employed inside the shop or not. The term journeyman assistant shall mean any person employed in the grocery trade over 21 years of age, other than a worker exclusively employed as a carter. The term junior assistantshall mean an apprentice who has served his full term, but has not reached the age of 21 years. The term carter assistant shall uie.u any person solely employed iu the delivery of goods. Wages. The following shall lie the minimum weekly rates of pay for the following classes of workers in the grocery trade:— Journeymen assistants, ,£3; junior assistants, .£2 10s.; apprentice assistants, as provided in Clause 0. Carter assistants of the age of 21 years and over, ,€2 15s. for driving anil -attending one horse, and not less than .£3 per week for driving and attending to two or more horses. If a tarter assistant drives one horse and nttends to that and a change horse, ho shall be paid not less than .£2 lGs. per week. Assistants over 21 .years of ago may be employed as both carters and journeymen, but at not less per week than minimum wago fixed for journeymen assistants. Carter assistants, youthsNo youth shall be employed as "a carter if he is under the age of 17 years. Youths employed solely as carter assistants shall be paid the* following weekly rate of pay:—Between 17 and IS years of age, 255. j between 18 and 19 years of age, 305,; between 19 and 20 years of age, 355.; 'between 20 and 21 years of age, -15 s. Apprentices, All persons employed in the trade under the age of 21 years shall l>e apprenticed, excepting youths employed solely as carter assistants. (a) Any employer taking an apprentice to learn the trado shall be deemed to undertake the duty which he agrees to perform as a duty enforceable under this award, and shall pay such apprentico not less than the undermentioned rate of wages, viz.: For the first year, 12s. Od. per week; second year, 17s. Gd. per week; third year, «£1 .is. per week; fourth year, J2l 15s. per week. The proportion of apprentices to journeymen and junior assistants shall not exceed one to every three journevmenand junior assistants, or fraction of three. Holidays. (a) The following shnll be the recognised holidays:—Xew Year's Day, the day following such day, Anniversary Day,' Good Friday, Master Saturday. Easter Monday, Labour Day, King's llirtlulay, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and the day' set apart for the grocers' annual picnic.' (b) Tilo observance of any recognised or special holiday shall not interfere with the observance of the usual weeklv half-holiday. U rider-rate Workers. (a) Any worker who considers himself unable to earn the wages mentioned in Clause 2 hereof may be employed at a rate of wages to be agreed upon by the employer and such worker, subject to the following conditions:— (b) The employer shall within twentyfour hours of the worker commencing work give notice to the Inspector of Awards that ho has employed an underrate worker, and the worker so employed shall within the said twenty-four hours make a written application to the inspector to have his wages fijted according to his ability, (c) The inspector before considering the application shall give noties thereof to the union ami the employer, who, if they desire mav attend and express their views upon tho application. (d) If the wages of the worker aro fixed at a higher rate than that agreed upon by tho employer and worker, tho difference shall be paid to tho worker on the first pay day following the fixing thereof. (e) Except in cases where permits have been granted on account of old age or physical infirmity, all permits shall be for a period not exceeding six months, •and except as aforesaid, no worker shall bo entitled to work at less than the minimum wage for a longer period than twelve months. (b) Notice of the granting of a permit shall be sent by the inspector to the unions of the employers, aad workers' parties hereto. Preference, (a) If any employer shall hereafter engage nnv worker who shall not lie a member ol the union, and who within seven days after his or her engagement shall not become a member of the union, tho employer shall then notify the secretary of the union in writing of the fact of tho engagement and employment of such worker. (b) After the expiration of seven days following tho engagement of any no'uunionist worker, the union may require tho non-unionist so engaged to become and remain n member of the union. (c) If any non-unionist worker employed in aiiy shop covered by this award refuse-; to join the union after being requested by the union to do so in accordance with the foregoing clause, then the union may require the employer to dismiss such non-unionist from his service, provided it can replace him or her with a member of til" union equally qualified to perform the particular work required to lie done. (d) Any non-unionist refusing to join the union after being reques'ed to do so in accordance with the provisions nf this section shall be deemed to hove committed a breach of tlio award, in addition to renderina hiir.fdf liable to dismissal a.- aforefiid. (c) Every non-unionist employed in any

ostaliTislinrehl covered by this award Shall within seven days after tho eommencement of its operation become and remain n member of the union. Failure to do hi shall constitute a breach of lliis award. (I)) Compliance by any employer with the provisions of this section shall relievo him of all liability under the section. (g) The provisions of the foregoing clause shall operate only if and so long as the rule-, of the union permit any person of good diameter and of sober habits to become a member of the union upon payment of an entrance fee not exceeding 55., upon a written or verbal application, without ballot or other election, and to continue a member upon payment of subsequent contributions not exceeding Gd. per week. Or 'Alternative.—Preference of employment shall bo given to members of the union. Term of Award. This award shall come into force on the second day of May, 1911!, and shall remain in force until the tst day of May, 1914.