ARBITRATION COURT

Hokitika Guardian, 31 October 1925, Page 3

ARBITRATION COURT

There was a short silting of the Arbitration Court in Grcyimmth yesterday morning. His Honor, Air .lustice Frazer, presided, and with him were Messrs 11. Hunter and W. Scott, representing the Trades' Unions, and the Employers’ Associations respectively. The Registrar of the Arbitration Court. Mr .T. Gilmoiir. was also present. The dispute between the Restaurant and Boardinghouse Employees' Union and the Restaurant- Proprietors came before the Court, to which, at a recent mooting of the Conociliation Council, the question of Hie rate of wages to tie paid to restaurant employees was referred for settlement. Messrs It. Brooks (Secretary of the Canterbury Hotel and Kestauanl Employees' Union) and .1. Goodall (local Secretary), appeared on behalf of the employees: ■ind Messrs .1, Harkcr. 11. .Moore, and E. I'. Arthur, represented the cmplov-

Mr Brook* staled Hint the employees desired the rates of wages as set •lit in the Dominion award to he made 'o apolv to the West Coast. At present 1 lie rate paid to waitresses was 32s (id per week. For the employers. Mr Darker slated that they objected to Ihe rate on the grounds that the Union did not represent all the employees, although il had been in existence two years. The emiloyers did not differentiate between Union and non-union employees. There seemed to he very little objection to the rate of wages being paid hv local employers, and none of the hands had made any request for an increase. He also added that the waitresses were not fully employed during working hours as was the ease ill the larger towns. Mr Arthur spoke as an employer, -iml slated that all his waitresses were Unionists : but that lie had had no complaints against the wages paid, and there had been no suggestion made by them of their desire for an increase. His Honour remarked that there could he no award asked for unless the members of the Union had first met and carried a ballot agreeing to the proposals of such an award. The Court reserved its decision, which will he filed later. An application for an interpretation if the Grocers’ Award was made by the Inspector of Labour, -Mr A. B. •ineddon. The Court agreed to file tlie necessary interpretation at an early date.