GROCERS' ASSISTANTS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1485, 6 July 1912, Page 10

GROCERS' ASSISTANTS.

A' FIVE SHILLING RISE, AWARD OF ARBITRATION COURT. The Wellington grocers' assistants havo beon. given an all round increase of ss. per week by the award of the Arbitration. Court, filed with the Clerk of Awards (Mr. E. Stockcr) yesteruay. The minimum rato of wages which shall bo paid to grocers' assistants thall bo as follows:—From 15 to 1G years of age, 10s. per week; from 1G to 17 years of ago, 15s. per week; from 17 to 18 years of ago, £1 per week; from 18 to 19 years of ogc, £1 ss. por week; from 19 to 20 years of age, £1 15s. per week; from 20 to 21 years of ago, £2 per week; from 21 to 22 years of age, .£2 Bs. per week; from 22 years and upwards, £i 10s. The minimum rato of wages which shall bo paid to drivers of the age of 22 years and upwards shall bo £2 10s. per week. Drivers, under tlio ago of 22 years, shall bo paid according to thescoJo above prescribed for assistants under tho ago of 22 years. No youth under tho ago of 1G years shall bo employed in driving. Aai assistant may act as a driver, or a driver as an assistant. The employment shall bo a weekly employment, and no deduction shall bo made from tho week's wages for publio holidays. Time lost by a workor, through his illness or default, may bo deducted from his wages. As regards holidays, tho following will be recognised:—New Year's Day, the day following such dav, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, King's Birthday, Labour Day, Easter Monday, Good Friday, Anniversary Day. If any day shall bo generally observed as a holiday iu lieu of any of tho above-mentioned holidays, such day for tho purpose of this award shall bo substituted for tho specified holiday. Tho grocers lose tho Prince of Wales's Birthday and the annual picnic. in a memorandum, tho Court eaid: — Tho'minimum wage for adult assistants has .been increased from £Z ss. to £2 10s. per'week, and-'tho minimum wage for drivers has' been made tho sanio as that 'for. assistants. Tho Court has not dealt with hours of work, overtime, or payment of wages, as those matters aro regulated by tho Shops and Offices Act. The members of tho union will not bo entitled to preference of employment until tho rules of tho union havo been altered by revoking Clause 6, which, in offect, imposes a ponalty of £5 on any member resigning from tho union. Tho judgment is a substantial victory for tho organisation, states Mr. E. J. Carey, secretary of the Grocers' Union. Increases rangmß from Ss. to Bs. por week have been obtained for workers in tho trade of 19 years of ago and upwards.