THE SOFT GOODS TRADE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1574, 18 October 1912, Page 8

THE SOFT GOODS TRADE.

DRAPERS' MEN. A first award of the Court of Arbitration lias just been filed in connection with the soft go:ds trade. The award is the result of the drapers' assistants' dispute, heard at the last sittings of the Court in I Wellington. "Solt goods assistant" is defiued as one 1 engaged' in any capacity in connection with the reception, display, sale, or delivery of soft goods in the retail establishments of those employers bound by the award, provided such assistant has had over six years' experience. . An appwntice is an employee with' le.-s than lour years' experience, .and an improver one with-more than four years' and less than six years' experience. Stjremen and porters are alsa defined. A.-sistauts are to be paid a miuinium wage of 555. per week for males aud 275. (id. per week for females, while it is specially provided that any lemale employed wholly or substantially in a dress, Manchester, drapery, furnishing, or print department shall be paid If as much again as the wages specified for females in Ihe scale. Wages u" rppientices are to range from lfls. in the first year up to 375. fid. in the last year as improver, for males, and from. 7-. Cd. pel' week, ii)> to fid. per week, for fumaics. The wages stipulated for storemeu, packers, and porters range from 10s. per week up to Sfls. per. week, while casual hand* are to be paid at the rate of Is. :!d. per hour, males, and lOd. per hour, females; In any shop oj' branch shop, the proportion of apprentices and Miipnvsts to assistants shall be not more than one apprentice or improver to one a"-htant. Preference to unioaists is provided for, and. there are also provisions for holidays and uiider-rate workers. Work dc.ne on' Sundays, Christinas Day, or. G'ood Friday is to be paid for at double rntps, and wGrk done on other holidays is I.; be paid for at time and a half rates. The award conies into force on November i next, and will operate ti.r two'years, but only in that area within a radius of five miles from the General Post Office in the City of Wellington. A memorandum attached to the award explains that the Court did 'not accept the union's classification of departmental managers, window-dressers, and smiois', because it would .have been difficult to apply such classification except in the case'ef large establishments. Further, it was' desirable to have the first pward ill connection with the trade as simple as possible. Any attempt to introduce. an elaborate classification of workers would have led to 'confusion and difficulty.