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HEAVY DROP IN GARAGE TRADE

SHORTER HOURS FOR PETROL SELLERS SOME RATIONING OF WORK [Per United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, September 13. An appeal to motorists to assist the petrol resellers in handling the emergency' that has arisen in the trade by co-operating in the observance of shorter hours has been issued by the Allied Motor Traders’ Association. It is proposed that members of the association within a 25-mile radius of tho Chief Post Office in Auckland will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays to Saturdays inclusive, and will close all day on Sunday. Outside this decision, a considerable number of resellers propose to close at 1 p.m. on Saturdays. The move is a temporary measure to meet the acute situation garages are facing through the heavy drop in trade. It was pointed out that with the decline in business service stations could obviously not continue to employ stall’s over longer hours, and as private motorists could obtain only 10 gallons a month there was no need for them to buy their supplies on Sundays. The proposed hours were, in any case, longer than those of most shops. The maintenance of these hours would depend on the co-operation of the motoring public. . In order to avoid the dismissal or staffs, where possible the Allied Motor Traders’ Association has concluded a temporary agreement with the Northern Engineering and Related Trades Union allowing the rationing of work among employees. A considerable proportion of garage employees have been engaged on a weekly basis, and the agreement allows the_ men to be employed by the hour with a guaranteed minimum of 16 hours a week. Men working on Saturday afternoons or Sundays will receive overtime rates. The arrangement will apply' only during the present emergency. It includes garage attendants, mechanics, assemblers, vulcanisers, and battery workers. UNIFORM ARRANGEMENT CONFERENCE PENDING WELLINGTON, September 13. “ With the serious curtailment of petrol under the Oil Fuel Emergency Regulations it was obvious that some reduction would be necessary in the hours during which service stations and garages would remain open,” said Mr F. A. Knight, secretary of the Wellington Petrol Resellers Association, commenting on the Auckland message. Mr Knight, who ts also secretary of the New Zealand Petrol Resellers’ Association, said the question had been receiving consideration by tho executive of the motor trade organisations in Wellington, but in view of the opening in Christchurch next Tuesday of the New Zealand Motor Trade Conference a final decision had been held over. In the meantime, it had been left to individual station operators to arrange the hours which they considered best suited to the requirements of'their customers.

“ The full restrictions have been in operation for not quite a week.” said Mr Knight, “ and till the effect is seen of the relaxation of the regulations which permit the private motorist to buy 10 gallons of petrol a month —six gallons for September—it is difficult to judge just what is required in the way of service. It would seem, however, that the hours proposed by the Auckland organisation are very reasonable, and should cause no hardship whatsoever to motorists. It wo are to minimise the effect of the very serious restrictions, we must have the co-operation of motorists, and it is confidently assumed that this will be willingly forthcoming. If motorists would make it a practice to buy early and obtain their supplies tor the weekend on Saturday mornings or earlier, this would be of the greatest assistance. It is also suggested that motorists should make a point of obtaining their petrol from the reseller with whom they usually deal, and so offset as far as possible the loss which he is called on to bear.” The endeavour of resellers, not only in Wellington but throughout the country, Air Knight said, would be to provide as complete a service as practicable in the circumstances and at the same time retain their staffs as far as they possibly could. While no. approach to the Engineering and Related Trades Union had been made in Wellington the resellers were confident that they would receive every co-operation from the union should any scheme for rationing the available work have to be put forward. . . “At the conference in Christchurch,” Mr Knight added, ” it is expected that a uniform arrangement lor the whole of the Dominion will be adopted.”

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD19390914.2.135

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Evening Star, Issue 23371, 14 September 1939, Page 16

Word count
Tapeke kupu
724

HEAVY DROP IN GARAGE TRADE Evening Star, Issue 23371, 14 September 1939, Page 16

HEAVY DROP IN GARAGE TRADE Evening Star, Issue 23371, 14 September 1939, Page 16

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