STOREMEN AND PACKERS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 123, 25 May 1926, Page 8

STOREMEN AND PACKERS

DOMINION AWARD SOUGHT,

Uniformity in the conditions of work and remuneration for storemen and packers in the principal centres of the Dominion, except Auckland, where the workers are not members of the federation, is being sought by the New Zealand Storemen' and Packers* Federation, in place of the district awards at present in operation. - The dispute has been created by the employees, and representatives on bath sides met at a Dominion Conciliation sitting, before Mr. W. Newton (Conciliation Commissioner) to-day., The assessors for the employees are: Messrs. J. Tucker and E. E. Head (Wellington), 'L. S. Laby and J. S. Barnett/(Christchurch), and, W. Herbert and 'J. Mitchell (Duricdin); ■and for the employers Messrs. A. W. Press and A. J. Curtis (Wellington), A. F. Prayton (Christchureh), A. 8. Cookson (Dunedin), E. V. Spear (Palmerston North), and E. W. Turner (Auckland). Mr. W. Herbert is. acting as agent for the federation, and Mr. B. L. Hammond for the employers. The opening proceedings were devoted to numerous amendments of the long list of parties. . In, the course of a preliminary survey of the. claims and counter-claims, the under-rate workers, preference, and other minor clauses, including one providing for first aid outfits to be made accessible at all times to all employees, were agreed upon. v ■ • : SWEATED LABOUR. The employers asked that the award should not apply to juniors, including females, employed on work such as picking over fruit, vegetables, and other perishable goods, or washing bottles, on the ground that it was not storemen's work. ' Mr. Tucker: "You are asking us to agree to sweated labour." Mr. Hammond: "We are not; parties to such a thing. We are. not prepared to admit that a person picking over fruit is worth £4 a week. . . Arc you prepared to admit these females to membership of.your union?" Mr. Tucker: "I shall object to Juniors not being covered by an award. It is not fair that they should be excluded. " Mr. Hammond: "Please cut out references to sweated labour. The average employer does not want to sweat his employees, even if the individual does." ; A Federation Assessor: "We have to provide against that individual." Mr. Hammond: "And we have to guard against unscrupulous union secretaries. There 'are unscrupulous people on both sides." Mr. Hammond observed that the federation would not have such a class of labour in .its unions, and yet it sought to impose obligations on their employers. (Proceeding.)