STAGE HANDS DISPUTE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1953, 9 January 1914, Page 3

STAGE HANDS DISPUTE.

AN ADJOURNMENT. :J§; ; f ! THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE STAFF, (By Telegraph;— Press 'Association.).. ■ Dunedin, January 8. Mr, J, It. Trij[?s, Conciliation Commix*lonor, sat here this morning to hear the Dunedin stage employees' dispute. Messrs. J.Knowes, A. Marshal!, and '.T, Tudor were the assessors for the union, and .Messrs. John Fuller, Jim., Bert Royle, and' W. Barrington Waters, assessors foi the employers. Mr. E. Breen acted as agent for the Union. Mr. E. E. Wilson, secretary of the Dun- ■ edin Competitions Society, wrote -apply- : ing for exemption for the society.- The i society, he stated, was not out-for the purpose of profit or-gain, but simply tc encourage' the study of music by yottng people.- After some discussion, the Commissioner said it was only a' fair thing - to strike out, the Competitions Society. Mr. Breen said he .understood that tills ; dispute was adjourned from Christchurcb in order to, see what would be done ir 1 . Dunedin. As the Dunedin award was the ! first award made, they'had to overcome certain difficulties at that time,-and tin i union accepted probably lower.wages thai: they would hare done had their organlsa, , tion been complete throughout New Zealand. When tho award was made in Wit , wages wero inadetho same as,these paid in.Australia. Since then, wages in Avetralia, had.been increased, and tho union hero now asked to have. their award amended in order to bring it into lin« with the wages now paid by manager; in Australia. If the employers here would agree to accept the' award made in the Commonwealth, then the employee* would be satisfied. . Mr. Fuller said the Christchurchi dispute, was not adjourned for the purpose of first hearing the Dunedin dispute. Th« delegates from the union there cam© with their hands tied, and could ■ not budge one w.iy or the other, .and that was whyit was adjourned. -If the delegates there were also bound in same day, then there was no use proceeding further. The conditions' in Australia and New Zealand were-not on all-fours, at-all,-and ho felt .that they should take the agreement of 1910 as a basis for tho dispute. New Zealand was practically a tourijig country, and after all it only.meant employing casual labour. Tho Commissioner said that they were anxious in Christchurch to comoto an agreement,-but delegates-from'the .union ■said that their hands were tied, ' Mr. Breen, suggested, that tho assessors for the union should retire in' order to fm'what offer the employers would make in connection with the night hands. This siuwestion.was adonted. later, the parties came together again, .Mr. Breen said that the Commissioner had suggested tlin.fc.the dispute should bo adjourned t" Christchurch, and that one assessor should be apDointed from Dunedin, Christchurch, and-Auckland'to meet-there: He {Mr. Breen) felt that the responsibility was too great for" them to make any alterations .here, 'and they would rather tliov. each of the'centres should- have a say In decidiner the matter. , Mr. Eovle asked' wbr -Mepates ■ should not'nlso bo sent from Wellington. .The : Commissioner replied that the Act onlr provided for three assessors. The. disnute w-ns .then adjourned to January 20, at Christchurch. '• THE FRONT OF THE.HOUSE STAFF. AN AWAED WAiNTED. •• This afternoon Mr. J. E. Tri?gs (Conciliation Commissioner) sat io hear the application of the Dunedin Theatrical^ Employees' (other tl"ui ctaee .hand?) limon for an award. Members of this union constitute what is knows] as the front of the house staff. ' •The applicants asked: (1) That the hours of work bo as follow: Ticket jellers. evenings. 7 to 9.1. r >; matinees, l;ia to 3.15; ticket-takers, ushers, barrier men, packers, and cloakroom attendants, even, imrs, 7 to clearing of the house; matinees, 1.45 to clearing of the house; tickettakers, etc.,'to be in . attendance till the covering in.of seats'is cotmleted by t.i'iem after tho performance. ,(2) Minimum rates of wages shall be Is. per performance; men and women regularly employed day , and night to receive not less than Is. Bel. per hour; matinee tn count as performances, and to be raid for.whether, or not a performance takes tilace; provided that with respect t-i continuous pictures a performance shall mean a period not exceeding Ihrec hours either day or night. (3) All time worked before or after the hours stipulated in Clause 1 shall be paid for at the rate of Is. 6d. tier hour, (i) Employees shall be.naid all,moneys due tn them before competing their work on Friday or Saturday of each week. (5) All engaeements' to be weeklv, a week's notice on either side. (G) -Members of the union to .be-employed in preference to rionmembers. . '-.'.'. No. counter pronosals were lodged, but the employers claimed' that: "There should be no award in this so-called industry." . ■ '■ Mr. Breen, oft'behalf of tU» .applicants, said, that he could pot understand the attilude of the employers in opnos'ng the nm-king of an award. In Australia the "front of the house people" were in the general, union. It was mostly a nuestion of .wages.. - On the avpraep.pMmle in front of. tho house wero paid about 2*: for each performance. Ho Ri'broitted il'.it 2% for o"d sometimes -t hours' work was too smnll a rate of nay. Mr. Fuller said that, tho employers thought the present apoiicstion was car; ryin? unionism too far. /-A manager could pick anyone off thef street and In ■ threo minutes make liinv competent for tho work. Tho wages paid were a. fair average. Tho term of duty was not iou? hours, but'about 2i hours. If an. award were made, it would mean that six or eight persons would be thrown out ol employment in Dunedin, because in picture shows ushers wpre luxuries to n certain extent. He a«ko<? that the matter be sent to (he Arbitration Court so as to iret'a'doc''«ion as to whether in this particular calling a union.was necessary. Tho Commissioner said he did not'think theatrical proprietors were gom* to suffer by the union having an award. It seemed to him thnt they were only ask- . for a, reasonable thing. They wer nnlv asking for ail the neonle .employed to be naid alike. After the Commissioner had conferred with the employers, he intimated that they had decided that the dispute should be 'referred to' the Court, as they did not consider it necessary tc have anv such union or any award. The matter was then referred to the Arbitration Court._ ■