BAKERS' ULTIMATUM.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1614, 4 December 1912, Page 8

BAKERS' ULTIMATUM.

THE NIGHT SHIFTS. • (Br Telegraph—Press Association.) •Auckland, December 3. • The inability of 'the bakers and employers to arive at an agreement in regard to the night, shift resulted ih the issue of an ultimatum - from between forty and fifty operative bakers that .they will cease work on Saturday unless what .they regard as the spirit of the Arbitration award is adhered, to. by certain master bakers. Only four or five employ-' ers are concerned. :,s. / ki . The Court recently ibolished'the'liight" shift, except on -payment of double time. Since then the employers have made repeated application to have the clause relating to the night shift suspended for twelve months, on. the ground that it involves great inconvenience and expense. Last Saturday an order was granted suspending the order for six months, and allowing an extra payment of 7s. 6d. weakly for the men so employed; • The union claims that an order supplementing an award should bo issued only in cases of emergency, and where _ the consent of both sides' has been, obtained, whereas here they were never consulted by the. Court. ; . EMPLOYERS' STATEMENT,., . (By Telegraph.—Press Association.). Auckland, December 3. The following statement giving the'position from the employers' standpoint was handed to a "Herald" representative today by the secretary- of the Master Bakers' Association:— ' " "The Arbitration Court at its late sitting in the- Auckland' Operative Bakers'' TJnion v. the Master Bakers practically abolished . the - night shift by. awarding double time to .Operatives working before the hour of- four a.m., so that the night shift may still be worked if employers are prepared to pay double time. The award made ,it practically impossible for bakers doing a large bread .business, or those doing dual businesses, to,' get-their stuff to the public .within reasonable I'liours, as when' starting at ten. p.m., they could hot get their bread away with the carts before .8 a;m. When the master bakers affected- realised what a serious matter it was to them, the Court was approached, with-the view of having the award modified for a time, to enable them to increase their plant, build ovens, and construct their businesses, The Court recognised the and the necessity lor a continuation of the night shift until these 'additions could be made. Consequently the Court made an order to rem-;edy-'-a-defect in the award by adding a •paragraph which conferred the right upon 'those ! who had been working the night shift : of'continuing for a °f six '..month's'on payment of 7s. 6d, per week advance on the award rates. This meant an advance of 12s. Gd. per week on tho previous wages paid for the night shift. ■ Some, of the employers affected cannot ready in six .months. '■ One who has had Ms order placed for extra plant some time ago was promised delivery in six or eight l .weeks. The materials have not yet arrived.' ' Part'was' shut out of the Zealandia, and half his fire-bricks are to arrive on the 9th, and the balance of the plant; on "the 30 th.:.. This.shows the difficulties that lie in the way of at once abolishing the night shift."