TARANAKI GROCERS' DISPUTE

Dominion, 14 March 1919, Page 6

TARANAKI GROCERS' DISPUTE

SETTLED BEFORE CONCILIATION COMMISSIONER. At » sitting of the Conciliation Council at New Plymouth on Monday, a complete settlement of the grocers' dispute in the Taranaki dispute was arrived at. The principal demands of the Grocers' Assistants' Union were for improved hours and improved wages. Tho union asked for « forty-nine hours' week in place of the fifty-two hours' week worked under tho Shops and Otficcs The employers would not agree to .the iusertion of a new clause in the award, but agreed to secure the forty-nine hours' week to employees by requisition, dating from April 1. In regard to the halfholiday, it was agreed, that no worker should be employed after twelve o'clock on the day of the half-holiday, irrespective of anything in Section 10 of tho Shops and Offices Act. Easter Saturday was granted as an additional holiday. The employers agreed to "notification" as well as "preference," so that in future notification will be given by the employers to the union of all engagements made. A flat rate wage of =£3 7s. 64 per week was agreed upon, as tho minimum for assistants and drivers over tho ago of 22 years. The rate in tho old award was .£2 17s. 6d. It was further agreed that the wage of .£3 7s. 6d. should be for a working week of forty-nine hours; that for work done after the completion of the. forty-nine hours up to .tho limit of fifty-two hours, Is. 4Jd. per hour should be paid; and that for work dono after the completion of fifty-two hours, payment should be at the rate of time and a half. The term agreod on for the new award was two years, and the date of its coming into operation was fixed at March 1.