RESTAURANT EMPLOYEES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 185, 1 May 1920, Page 5

RESTAURANT EMPLOYEES

dissatisfied WITH EE cent - ■ • -v: AAYAHD.' ' - . Dissatisfaction - with : tKe, recent award eranted by the: Arbitration Court is "ei'ig felt by. employees !\ih Wellington restaurants and refreshment rooms. The ; rate of wages granted-to female workers ■ —30s. per,, week—is- one of' the items about'..wh : ch bitter complaint is being made, seeing that these ivorkers 1 are riot entitled, to full board and lodging. With . H'° Y or .V '"gh cost of accommodation in ■.. »\ ellingtoTi and the sver-incrensing , pr ces of clothing, it is considered that 80s. , per week for- a female'worker is scarcely , a., living wage. Female work'. ; ers in hotels also receive a weekly, wage of but they are bettor off tlian the' 1 employees 111 restaurants'' 'and refreshwent .rooms in. that, %y: are-entitled to lull board and lodging 1 . ■ MVliesi the. case wis before the Arbitra- ■ tion Court; the union pleaded f'br' a liv- • 1 iiw wage;_to be paid to nialo workers, t the Court granted a "age of 355. per - week plus a bonus, of ,55., And' also oiriere«_ that. diese workers should re- ■ ceive six meals per week at-the cx1, pense oi, the employers: . As the ialuo . . ot tlieso meals ;s assessed at Cs., the wage of a male ,worker is really worth about M Cs. pei- wa3k. "Such' a wage ■ is an absolute. disgrace," remarked an official; of; the _ Hotel and -'Restaurant Employees Union to a Dominion jcJ' tu J°.. c] '" rn f llls 'Wse'the Court stated that the male employees would liave to work GO hou'rs. per. week, which means that on an hourly basis tliev roceivo about i)d. perhour,' The un'on has resolved to apply ■immediately nntj-'' ™ War Legislation Amendment .Alitor a reopening of the case in order that an. attempt.may, be made to obtain from the Court I some, smaT mensure of justice at • least. . The executive has also been instructor! to fllo applications for n bonus, to apply; to. all ' the worlcei ,c V' the industrial district of .Wellington."