HOTEL EMPLOYEES

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 129, 2 June 1937, Page 13

HOTEL EMPLOYEES

CONDITIONS OF WORK

DOMINION DISPUTE

Wages: and conditions of work for hotel workers thYoughout the Dominion were considered today before the Conciliation Commissioner (Mr. S. Ritchie) by representatives of the New Zeafand Federated Hotel and Restaurant Employees' Industrial Association of Workers and the employers. ; , ■ ;( ' '' '-"The assessors were as follows:—Employees, Messrs.' F; .G. Young (Auckland), R. A.; Brooks (Christchurch), E. Bell (Dunedin), H. O'Malley (Wellington), W. F. Campbell (New Plymouth), R. Howarth (Greymouth), Miss M. Mitchell (Nelson). Employers, Messrs. W. J. Mountjoy (agent), P. T. Coyle, T. Coltman (Wellington), J. M. C. McLeod (Timaru), M. 'O'Brien (Southland), F.-J. Fay (Dunedin), and M. J. Walsh (Auckland).

The following were the major claims of the employees, the counter-claims of the emplq»-ers~being-given in parentheses:—. ■■■■■.■■■■'•

Hours: Forty per week, not more than eight hours to be worked on any day without payment of overtime (forty-four, ten hours). Holidays: Two full days each week (one fullday and half-holiday, from 1 p.m.); seven days on full pay after six months', service (one week and two days after twelve months'. service). Wages asked for were as follows:— Kitchen where ten:or more hands are employed, from £3 to £8 a week for chief cook; nine or more hands, £3 to £7 ss; eight or more hands, £3 to £6 12s (£2 7s 6d to £6); seven hands, £3 to £6 Is (£2 7s 6d to £5 10s)? six hands, £3 to £5 16s (£2 7s 6d to £5 ss); five hands, £3 to £5 12s 6d (£2 7s 6d to £5 2s); four hands, £3 to £5 Is (£2 7s 6d to £4 12s); three hands, £3 to £4 8s (£2 7s 6d to £3 19s 6d); two hands, £3 to £3 8s (£2 9s 6d to £3 2s); one hand, £3 2s 6d (£2 9s 6d). Dining-room: Head waiter if two or more waiters are employed, £3 10s (£3 2s); head waitress if six.or more waitresses are employed, £3; second waitress if six or more are employed, £2- head waitress where three or more are'employed, £2 (£1 16s); other waiters, £3 3s (£2 17s); other waitresses £1 16s (£i 12s 6d); housemaidwaitress, £1 16s (£1 12s 6d). Other classes: Housemaids, £1 l°s (£1 12s 6d); pantrymen, £2 15s (£2 7s 6d); pantrymaids, £1 16s (£1 12s 6d); head barman where more than five barmen are employed, £4 2s Cd; b&rman charge hand where more than one barman is employed in the bar, £3 17s 6d; barmen and barmaids, £3 15s (£3 7s); cellarman and bottle-store hands, £3 15s (£3 7s); porters, night £2 17s (£2 9s 6d), day £2 15s (£2 7s 6d)- general hands (male) required to assist in the bar at other times than in relief of a bar-worker on one day of the week, £3 (£2 11s); general hands, male £2 15s (£2 7s 6d), female £2 5s (£2 Is); gardeners, £2 15s; rouseabouts, £2 7s; housekeeper, £2 10s- laundresses, £1 18s<6d (£1 15s); linen-maids, £1 17s (£1 13s 6d); relieving maids, £1 16s (£1 12s 6d). Casual labour: Chef, £1 7s 6d a day for the first three days, thereafter ordinary wages (£1 ss); second cooks, £1 (17s 6d); other kitchen workers, ISs (12s 6d); waiters, 17s 6d (15s); waitresses, 15s (12s 6d); pantrymen, 15s (12s 6d); pantrymaids, 12s (10s); porters and general hands, 15s (12s 6d); laundresses or housemaids, 12s (laundresses 10s); barmen and barmaids, £1 2s 6d (£1). Special occasions.—Where work is done away from the employers' premises, such as at races, banquets, balls, etc., chef £1 10s per day (£1 7s 6d), second cooks £1 5s (£1 2s 6d), other kitchen hands 17s 6d (15s), waiters and pantry hands 17s 6d (15s 9d), barmen £1 5s (£1); waiters, waitresses, and pantrymaids, 7s 6d if employed for two hours or less, thereafter 2s 6d an hour (7s 6d for three hours, 2s 6d).

The workers' claims asked that buttons be not employed, and the employers offered the following wages for youths employed as buttons or lift boys:—Under 16, 15s to 50s; 16 to 17, 20s to 50s; 17 to 18, 25s to 50s after three years; 18 to 19, 30s to 50s after the fifth six months; 19 to 20, 35s to 50s after two years. Both parties agreed that overtime be paid for at the rate of time and a hslf for the first four hours and double time thereafter. For work done on special clays, such as Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Good Friday, etc., time-and-a-half rales are to be paid.; At the luncheon adjournment some machinery clauses only had . been agreed upon.