PRIVATE HOTEL WORKERS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 74, 20 December 1919, Page 4

PRIVATE HOTEL WORKERS

SEEK NEW AWARD THE DEMANDS DISCUSSED

The Conciliation Council, presided over by tho Commissioner (Mr. W, Newton), yesterday discussed the demands of the Wellington private hotel workers for a new award. The assessors were: for the union, Messrs. H. O'Malley, H. J. Colgate and H. Lees; for t'lio employers, Messrs. W. A. Grenfell, C. W. Throsby, and W. H. Bird. Mr. E. Kennedy appeared as agent for the union. Tho ease affects employers and employees within a 25-milu radius of the Chief Post Office, Wellington. * . The union demands havo beon published. Tho employers proposed that tho new award should be the same as t'lio old in all essential particulars-

A 48-Hour Week. Mr. Kennedy strenuously advocated tho introduction of a 48-hour week into tho trade. He observed that in tho Peaco Treaty, which the New Zealand Parliament had endorsed, provision had been lmulo for the holding of an international Labour conference. That conference had been liold, and it had recommended tho adoption, of the 43-hour week in all industries that had a longer week at present. If tho employers declined to mako the concession, Parliament would grant it, because tho Government, Mr. Kennedy submitted, was morally bound by the decisions of tho conference held under tho Labour Charter of the Peaco Treaty. Mr. Grenfell argued that t'hc business of hotel-keeping did not come under the heading of "industry." A 52-hour week was nothing excessive for employees who wero not actually working all tho time. Mr. Kennedy rejoined tlmt those who had to wait at the call of the employer for 52 hours were serving for those 52 hours.

Mr. O'Malley: Australian workers in tho business have a 48-hour week now.

Mr. Grenfell said that Australian conditions wero not tho same as New Zealand conditions. "Small blame to them if they work only 48 hours in Australia,' lie observed.

A Misunderstanding. The employers' assessors objected to tlio demand of the union that-the work of each day should bo performed within a, margin of 10 hours. Mr. Kennedy said that the 'union would allow a margin of 12 hours. It not, however, agree to an employer s liulding a girl at his disposal for 13 and It horns a day. s After conference with Mr.Throsby, Mr. Kennedy said that the union was pre-, pared to coucedc 14 hours (from tho shirting-time to the finishing-time) if m that period meal hours were included. The offer was accepted bv the employers, with the proviso that meal-times, should not exceed half an hour per meal. , ■]t then transpired that Mr. Kennedyhad made his offer upon the following assumption: that the employers wero agreeing lo eight hours' work per day mid a -18-itotir week, and were discussing tho daily "margin" with that concession in view. ; The employers assessors made it clear, on tho contrary, that they had accepted Mr. Kennedy's proposed "margin' without any implication that only eight hours' work should be dono in each The result was that the question of hours had to be left unsettled.

Holidays. It was agreed that workers should receivo double pav tor work done on Chustmas Day, Good" Friday and t'be birthday of tho reigning Sovereign; anil pay at the rato.of time and a half for work done on Boxing Day, Easter Monday, and Labour Day. The. rate of pay for Anzao Day was left to the Arbitration Court for decision. , Tho parties agreed that every employed should be entitled to a wcok s holiday on full pay after tho completion of twelve months' service. Ihey decided also that a worker who remained lor more than nine months with one employer should reoeivo a, proportionate allowance of holidays.

Wages. Mr Kennedy said that the union was nMnn-r for the lowest paid worker in, the kitchen a wage of £1 ss. per week, plus JH for board and 10s, for lodging. Ho ar»ued that female kitchen hands weio •onftled to as high a ws\ge as ma a kitchen hands, since maie and iemale labour in the kitchen, ho said, returned equal profits to the employer. \fter a considerable amount of negotiation, it was agreed that the _ lowestpaid kitchen hands should receive 359. with ss. bomis (rnalps), and 30s. with fc>. bonus (females). At this stage the proceedings were adjourned till 10.30 a.m.