BUTCHERS' DISPUTE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 26, 25 October 1919, Page 3

BUTCHERS' DISPUTE

HIGHER WAGES AND BETTER CONDITIONS CLAIMED. A substantial ineiease in wages 'and an all-rounu improvement of giyieral conditions are asked for by the Wellington Operative Butchers' Union in its claims for a new award which have just been filed. Tho. old award is datid I'JKS. 5 Butchers, being governed bv the Shops and Offices Act, can be called upon to work 52 hours per week. Tho proposed hours clauses in the new demands read: (a) A week's work shall not exceed 47J hours. Tlio hours of work on fivo days of the week shall bo from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with 1} hours each day for dinner. On Saturday tho hours of work shall, bu from 7 a.m. to 12 noon, (b) For tho purpose of tabulating* tin; hours of work, each of the holidays hereinafter mentioned shall bo deemed to be ii day of B'i hours worked, although no work 'shall have actually been done on such holiday. Pollowin* aro the wages claims with tho present award rates in parentheses: (a) ' Workers• shall, be paid not less than the wages specified in the following scale: First shopman or man in charge, .I*s'"ss!' (£3 155.); second shopman, i'-t 15s. f£3 55.); first smallgooda man, £5 ss, (.£3 155.); all other workers, /' • '10s. (J'3). ' (b) The wages here-jrbefe'-i1 prescribed are weekly; wages, and dfo not subject to any deduction save for timc : lost through the default or illness of the worker, (c) Any worker receiving ;l higher rate of wages than rile minimum rate herein prescribed shall 'lot have his wages reduced.' Casual Labour.—All casual workers, shall, bo paid'at the rate of,-,not less than 2s. 6d. per hour, with a liunimum of Bi'. hours for'any day on which such workers shall be employed. Boys and;Yoiitli3.—(u) Employers may employ .boys and youths ot not less/than the following rates of wages: Under 17 years .of age, iU 10s. (.£1 'is. Cel.); from 17 to 18 years of age, JB2 fJBI 10s.); from 18 to 19 years of age,' ,£2 10s.; from 19 to 20 years of ago ■£), from 20 to 21 years of age Jj3 Ills, (nil >£'1 55.). Any ,boy who lids'attend el d course of instruction in butchery technique at a technical college, i>nd has passed the. first, year's examination ifi same; shall receive an increase in wages of 2s. Gd. per week in addition to the above rates; similarly, boys who have passed tho second year's : examination shall receive ait oxtra ss. per week, and those who have passed the third year's examination an extra 7s. lid. per week:, Provided that these additional payments shall only bo made for one year following the passing of tho examination; except iu the case of the liiird year examination, in which case boys shall be entitled to receive the additional payment until they reach the ag..- of. 21 years. Olio holiday of two weeks on full pay shall be granted to each' worker under this award on completion of each year of service. A worker not completing a year of service shall be granted pay.in lieu of nolidavs in the 6amo proportion according to the length of his service. This clause shall not apply in tho caso of any worker dismissed for misconduct.

No worker shall be employed after 12 r.oon on the day of tho weekly halfholiday, irresptctive of the provisions of section 19 and its sub-sections, of tho Shops and Offices Act. Thc\ sum of f>s. per week shall be paid to each worker by the employer for laundry work.

When an employer wishes to obtain the FcrvitM of a worker, he shall, in the first instance, make'application to t!io secretary of the union to supply him with the required woiker; and if the union is not in a position to supply Ilia requirements within ii reasonable or prescribed, time, the employer, may engage any person, whether a member of tho in ion" or otherwise.

Mpf-srs. ■ A. Needkim, J. Robertson, and A. I!inch (Dunedin'i have been appointed assessors to represent tho union at. sittings of '-.he Conciliation Coimcil throughout the Wellington industrial district.