HOTEL WORKERS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1517, 13 August 1912, Page 6

HOTEL WORKERS.

A BATCH OF GRIEVANCES. ALLEGATIONS OP SWEATING. A deputation representing the Hotel and Restaurant Employees' Federation waited upon tho Miinister : for Labour (the Hon. W. F. Massoy) last evening. A conference cf these employees has been sitting in Dunedin for the past week, end at that conference a deputation was appointed to lay before tho Minister the grievances of tha unions. One Day of Rest. Mr. E. J. Carey (seoretory of the Wellington Union) said the deputation had coruo to ask for legislative redress of tlho grievances ■ under which they suffered, l'hoy represented an industry which carried on for seven days in t)io week for all tho year round without -holiday or rest of any kind. He claimed that hotel and restaurant workers had been sadly neglected dn the past because they were so diffioult to organise. It would be stated ■by hotelkeepers that the employees lad obtained substantial redress in getting a half-holiday, but in fact tho iialf-holi- • day; did not commence till 2 p.m., by which time employees had worked from six tonight hours already. The hours of ■work in Wellington were C 5 for men and 58 for women in hotels, and 62 for men and 52 for women in shops. The deputation did not ask for any serious deduction of hours, but they did ask l'or a v;hole day of rest, not necessarily a Sunday in each week. While it might be necessary for the industry to carry on for seven days, it was not necessary for all workers to work seven days every week. The conference had drafted a Bill to embody all that they required. They 'asked for 'an amendment to the Shops and' Offices Act to provide for a six-days' working week in establishments which Srere open for seven days, and a 5£ days' working week in establishments which .were open 'for only six days in tho week. Lately a position had arisen in Wellington by which a body of workers which Lad always loyally supported tho Arbitration Court were deprived of all benefits under it. What they suggested should bo 'done was that tho clause in the Cooks and Waiters' Award, to. the effect that the award should expire, should be repealed by Act of Parliament, and that the award hhould continue in operation until it was superseded by a new award.

The Arbitration Court. , Mr. Massey: What is tho objection to going before the Court for a new award? Mr. Carey said there w-as no objection except that they ought not to bo • compelled to-do so, and that it would take two months to get a fresh award. Another objection was that tho union, would be penalised ;becauso of this effort to better their positions by an appeal to Parliament. Mr. Massey: I don't think you'ought to say that tho Court objects to Parliamentary interference. Mr. -T. Long (Auckland): ■ Thej have said so repeatedly.. I will prove it to you, sir. 'I pin stating facts. Mr. Carey said that the C.ourt was taking upon itself tho function of prescribing conditions for all workers coming to them. Ho spoke of tho employment of jinregistered barmaids, and asked that the Act he amended to give effect to tho obvious intention of Parliament. He urged also that "registry offices ought to be abolished, and that their, functions should be taken lip by tho Stato Labour Bureaus, and .Trades Unions, and that tho fees chargeable should be fixed 011 a scalo ■that would not be a burden.oll unemployed; ivorkers. Times and wages books were not properly kept; tlioy wore not accessible to employers, and the right-of inspection on the part of union officials was 'no check on. irregularities. Ho referred nlso to tho fact that .hotel workers were, ns he thought, unfairly loaded'with a 25 per cent extra charge for life insurance, in. spito of tho fact that hotel workers wore, as a rule, not allowed even to purchase liquor in tho houses in which they were employed.. ' ■.

Boardinghouses. Mr. T. Long (Auckland) declared that the President of' the Court had challenged his right to_ come before it as an officer of his organisation, in tho Kotorua boardinghouse case. Mr. Carey. He asked him was it right /'to go to Parliament, and then come to the Court. .Mr. Long said the President of tho Court had charged him with dishonesty in making an application for an award, and then asking tho Legislature' to remedy tho same grievance. The President had said, "Go.to the Legislature; let them ifix up all your troubles. Why come to the Court at all?" When ho (Mr. Long) submitted irrefutable evidence to the ef- ' feet that women wore working in boardinghouses in Rotorua up to 96 hours a week, the Court had been compelled to make an award dealing with hours. The Court advised that the union should meet the employers in conference to decide ■wages. That conference was held, but it came -to no agreement as to wages. In asking the Court to embraco boardinghouses in. the scope of an award, the union had never sought to bring in as a party tho widow who eked out a living by keeping boarders, but only the proprietary of establishments competing, and competing successfully, with high-class licensed houses. 1 The deputation looked forward to sympathetic treatment from the Government, and from private conversations with Mr. Massey ho was sure that • the: union could expect that treatment. He made a special appeal on behalf of women workers who were being sweated in'private hotels. He asked Jlie Government to circumscribe the powers of the Court so" that it should bo mandatory upon the Court to make an award. Mr. F. Miller (Wellington) urged that in the interests of public health a competent hotel employee should be appointed to inspect kitchens, and the servants' sleeping quarters in hotels.