SOFT GOODS EMPLOYEES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1441, 16 May 1912, Page 3

SOFT GOODS EMPLOYEES.

DEMANDS OF.KETAILEIiS , UNION. Tho Wellington Retail Soft Goods Employees' Industrial Union of Workers have now supplied the employers with a list of their demands, and the case will shortly come before the Conciliation lioard, and, if necessary, be carried to the Arbitration Court. No fewer than eighty-eight employers have been cited as parties to the dispute. i'or tho purposes of the dispute, the demands of the union set out that any person shall be deemed a shop assistant who is engaged in any capacity relative to the reception, display, sale, or delivery of goods in the retail establishments specified. Shop assistants shall be classified as follow :—Departmental managers, windowdressers, seniors, improvers, apprentices, storemen, packers, porters, liftmen. A departmental manager is deemed to be an emplos'«e who has charge or supervision of a department or branch shop, with or without tho ' responsibility of buying.

A window-dresser is an employee who places goods in tho shop window for public inspection.

A senior is an employee who has served six years in Hie traue as a shop assistant, or is over the age of twenty-two years. For the purpose of the proportion clause, an employer who is actively engaged in tho management of his business may lw classed as a senior.

An improver is an employee who has served more than three years in-the trade as a. shop assistant or is under the ago of twenty-two years.

An apprentice is an employee who has served less than three years in the tiade as a shop assistant or is under the age of 18 years.

A store-man or packer is «n employee engaged in packing or unpacking gcods. A portor is an employee over the age of sixteen years engaged solely or severally as a general cleaner or messenger, or in the delivery of goods by hand. The wages demands ' arc:—Department managers, £6 10s. j window-dressers, JES I 10s.; seniors, £i; shop assistants, entering the trade between the ages of 15 and '1C years, first six months of service, 155.; second six months of service, 17s. Gd.; third six months of service, «£1 2s. Ctl.j fourth six months of service, .£1 7s. Gd.; third year of service, £1 15s. • fourth year of service, £2 55.; fifth year of service, £2 17s. 6d.; sixth year of service, ,61 10s.; seventh year of service (senior year), £i; head storeman or only storcman, £3 155.; general storeman, JSl'os. Shop assistant porters shall bo paid not less than is shown in the following scale:—Sixteen years or under, 155.; seventeen, .£1 'Is. Gd.; eighteen, .£1 7s. Gd.; nineteen, £1 155.; twenty, ,£2 55.; twenty-one, .E2 10s.; twenty-two, £Z ss.

Casual hands, it is asked, shall he paid 25 per cent, increase on the rates shown. Anyone employed for less than a month shall be deemed to l>o a casual.

It is further asked that hours of employment shall not exceed 45 hours in nny week unless paid for at overtime ml?*. Tho ordinary working hours shall be from 9 a.m. to 12 noon or 1 p.m., and 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. All other time shall bo classed as overtime. Overtime shrill be paid at the rate of time and a half pay per hour.