WELLINGTON SHOP ASSISTANTS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 262, 1 August 1919, Page 5

WELLINGTON SHOP ASSISTANTS

NEW AWARD SOUGHT REST ROOMS FOR FEMALE EMPLOYEES The Arbitration Court yesterday morning began tlie hcarinj? of the dispute between the Wellington shop assistants and Lhuii- employers. His Honour Mr. Justice Stringer presided, and with him as assessors wore jMt. W. Scott (for the employers) and Mr. J. Ai'Cul'ough (for the employes). As Mr. A. W. Croskery was slightly indisposed, Mr. A. L. Monteitli conducted the employees' Mr. \V. A. Grenfell represented the employers. 'I'ho number of trades" affected by the case is shown by the title of tho union, which is "The "Wellington Amalgamated .Society of Shop Assistants in the Boot, Hardware, Stationery, Fancy Goods, Furniture, and Soft Goods Trades." Before the Conciliation Council the parlie* had agreed tlmt the wase3 of storemen and packers should he those granted by the Court in the united storemen's award; that not less than seven days' notice of termination of employment should be Riven; that male ciisual hands snoiild he paid not less than Is. 10d. per hour and female .casual hands not less than Is. 2d.; that all wattes should be "paid weekly or fortnightly, and in cash (dp any other day than Saturday)"; that all tonuses, prsmhnnii, and commissions should be paid in addition to the weekly. wages specified, with no deduction on any' account; that the weekly half-holiday should be according to the provisions of the ad award; that Christmas Day, Boxins Day, New Year's Day and the day following, Good I'riday, Buster Monday, Anniversary Day, labour Day, the birthday of the reigning Sovereign and Peace 'Celebration Day should be full holidays; that any work done on Sundays. Christnins Day, or Good l'riday should be paid for at double-time rates, and all work done on any of the other specified, holidays (or any holidays observed in lieu thereof) should be paid for at the rate of time ami a half; that these payments should ha in addition to the weekly wage; that tho grading proportions in the old award should remain in force; that each employee, on leaving or being discharged from his or her employment, should bo given within twenty-four hours thereafter a reference in writing stating the position held and length of service-; that the linder-rute workers' clause ns drafted 'by the union, should come into force; that any firm transferring a worker from one town to another should pay the worker's tare, iirst-class by rail or by- boat, to the place to which the worker was.transferred; thnt tho preference clause and tho old iiwaru should remain in operation. The union demands given below were among those which had been sent on to the Court for settlement-.— . Classification of Workers.—Shop assistants shall be classified us follows-.— Branch managers and manageresses, departmental managers and manageresses, .window-dressers, travellers, seniors, juni. ors, apprentices, store-men, and packers, clsrks and cashiers (including males andfomalej). Wages: For branch manager or man. ageress, £" os. per week; for departmental manager or manageress, .£7; for windowilressM,, I' 6 Ss.; for canvasser, .£5; for "senior" males, }iT>; for "senior" females, jM 10s.; for assistants 16 years of age and under, entering the , trade without previous 'experience—first year, £1 ss. (male* and females); second year, XI 17s. 6d. (males) and ill li!s. Bd. (females); third year, £2 Vis. Bd. (males) and .£2 (females); fourth year, .C 3 7s. 6'd. (males) and £2 Ms. (females); fifth year, JM 2s. Bd. (nutlets) and £'i (females); after fifth year, "senior" rates, .65 (males) and £3 10.5. .(females). Any female employed in selling or handling the following goods shall be paid the . wages prescribed for males: Men's and juvenile clothing,, mercery, 'hate, hosiery, silk?, velveteens, dress goods, Manchester, furnishing drapery, carpets. < .linoleums, bedding, cotton dress gcods, j prints, furniture, ironmongery, and men's boots. . .'-■_■ Hours of employment: Seniors and nny person receiving in excess of the senior wage—From 9 a.m. to noon or 1 p.m., and from 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. to 5.3D p.m. on five days of the week; and frpm 9 a.m. to noon on the day of the weekly half-holiday. Juniors—from 8.30 a.m. to noon or 1 p.m., and from 1 p.m. or 2 p.iii. to 5.30 p.m. on five days of the week; and from 8.30 a.m.- to neon on the. (lay of the weekly half-holiday. Apprentices, storemen, or packers—from 8 a.ini io noon or 1 p.m., and from 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. on five days of the week; and from 8 a.m. to noon on the day of tho weekly hiilffholida-y. Performing Higher, Duties.—Employees engaged in doing -.vorlc which is paid for at a higher rate than that which they usually perform shall receive 'the higher rato for the timo employed on such work. ■ ' ' -~ Notice Ee Overtime and Tea Money.— Employees required to work after 5.30 I.'.j:i. shall be paid Is. Cd. tea money in addition to any overtime to which they reay be entitled. Twenty-four hours' nolice shall be given to an employee who shall bu required to work overtime. Dining-room Accommodation. — Each employer shall provide dining-room accommodation suthcient for all employees requiring the same ;n his establishment. liest Koouiß.-lt shall be the duty of each employer to rrovide a room furnished with suitable couches and other nectssarv accommodation for the- exclusive u='u of all female employees in his eiupldy. Each employer who employs ie-iEuli-3 shall have a female porter, whose duty it shall be to clean all.dining-rooms and lavatories used by female assistants*. J)iei;s Allowances.— ln any establishments where an employer required any employees tu dress in any particular style or colour (biack or white included) 6uch garment not being the employees' usual outdoor wearing garment, then such employer shall provide such garment to such ciiiuloyte tree. Cloak and Dressing-Boom for Female ! .V-aistiiiils.— ln all shops where female .:s.-istants are employed reasonable cloak .ind dressing-room luciUtics shall be provided for use of each employee. Mr. Monteitli, speaking generally upon ihe 'union's demands, submitted returns which, he claimed, demonstrated that very many of the female shop assistants employed in were not paid a living wage. The wages of shop assistants had all along; I een so low that the union was now justified in asking for an increase that woul.l mvt merely cover-the vise in the cost of lhing in New Eealaud. but -would jiluce the New Zealand workers on as goud a footing as tho Australian. The union called a number of witnesses, .ind among them .Dr. Platls-Mills, who .stave evidence as to the need for the provjsion of rest-rooms wherever women and girls aje employed. Sir. llreiiil'U,' replying to the union's cn«, contended that advantage had been taken of legal technicalities to create a di.jmite between shup assistants generally, mid their employer.-!, when, in reality, •iiitside of tho soft goods trades, there was no dispute. In justice to the enipluyers in ."Palmertfon North, Wanganui, :ind Napier, Ihe Court, he submitted, should sit in those centres, and thereby train a fuil knoivlclge of. local conditions. Tho employers ulso desired that the Court should reserve its decision until it hnd heard similar c'isputcs in southern Mr."Justice. Stringer 'said that he thought the Court had practically decided to do that. In any case, it would I'jinnen of necessity. Speaking (if wag-.-s, Mr. drenfell urged that the scale laid down in the Auckland soft goods dispute last year should not be exceeded. With regard to resllouni-?. tho employers considered that the provision of them would be likely to provide the employees with an opportunity of avoiding work. ; The further hearing of the displile was ■nriioiii'iivd Hll I his morning.