HOTEL WORKERS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2152, 19 May 1914, Page 3

HOTEL WORKERS

ANNUAL MEETING OF UNION

Tho annual i-nootiug of the Wellington District Hotel, Club. n«d Restaurant Workers' Union was held i'n tlie Trades Hall last night. JJr. M. Craig presiilocl, qnd there was a good attendance. Mr. G. Thornton, president of .tiro Napier,branch, frho is in Wellington as an assessor for the union in the private hotel disrjite case, attended tho meeting, and was accorded a hearty welcome. Correspondence waa received from the Labour Department, in answer to tho several cases of breach of the new award reported by the secretary. Tho tone of tin; answers of the Department showed that i-lic complaints reported wero mainly duo to nnsoonception of tho previsions of the new regulations. Tlra question as to whether the holiday should be given once in each week, or at the end of er«r.v six days, was answered, as indicated m another column. The secretary further reported that the impression, which one or two hotelkoepers mid. that- they were entitled to denv the workers their, on the holiday, had been removed.

It was stated to tho meetinj; that the sbrnir conditions in the trade were <tl i-liejr worst, because there had not been many changes, nor had there been many extra workers engaged, on account of. tho holiday. Country hands had also epnimweed to como into the cii-.v, as wns the case every winter Ino secretary reported that there wore fflan.v men out of work. The election of officers resulted in tho unopposed return of all retiring rthcers. with, tho exception of t-hrc" who are leaving, the district. The vacancies wer-e filled by the unopposed return nf three local members. The balance-sheet- presenter! to the meetina showed that during the six months covered by tho statcmejjt a total of 533 new members (ineludin«r 164 n-ometi_ workers) l la d been admitted to tlie union. During the term a sum <rf -d»i was paid by members ia weekly contributions. Tho cases for tho new hotel award were responsible- for an in- ] crease m tho cspendituw. kit after 5 taking into account all disbursements. I the union finished tlie half-year with casii assets totalling $,%. ' J lie assessors for the unions reported : that they had submitted modified proposals, without prejudice., to the empioyersiri private hotels and reatnnrants, with a view to the settlement of the dispute outside- the Court -, The assessors. Messrs. O-JWley. Thornton, and Laroy, were given full power to act m the interests of the union. Mr. E. J. Carey was reflected, uuopposed, to the position of "general spcretarr of the union. This' made the hi toenth occasion on which bo has been elected, but. previously, the term was for six months only, His present appointment is for a /P eriod of three veari Sir. Carey and tlie other officers Vlpe.fcfl returned thanks for their election