DISMISSAL NOTICES

Hokitika Guardian, 3 January 1931, Page 4

DISMISSAL NOTICES

fAustialian Press Association)

SYDNEY, Jan. 2. A large number of employees, chiefly shop assistants, began the New Year badly to-day. In consequence of the Government's ban on rationing, the big city stores served dismissal notices on twenty-five per cent of their employees. These notices take effect on Monday. A majority of the employers say they can run their business more economically with small full-time staffs than with large parttime staffs.

The employees in most of the largo departmental stores have fallen into a state of panic, and blame their unions, while the unions now express their preparedness to meet the employers On the subject of how a restricted form of rationing might bo employed. The employers, lit turn. Bay they hftVO ftl« ready warned both the unions and the Government, and that the next move must come from those responsible for the present trouble. Employers are unanimous that the declaration of a 44-hour week will have a disastrous effect upon New South Wales.

The “Morning Herald” states:— Shop assistants in a number of . large establishments have intimated that they are prepared to continue rationing work rather than face dismissal, fvliich they realise that the Government’s latest decision must mean for large numbers. Secret ballots in two big city stores resulted overwhelmingly in favour; of rationing. In one case a union official appeared during the progress of the balloting and protested. Thereupon he was ordered off the premises. Subsequently, he thus explained the grounds of his protest: “Although the entire staff had been asked to decide whether they favoured the present system of rationing, only one third of the employees had been rationed. It is unfair to bold a ballot among those not affected by the rationing. Mr It. Marks (ex-president of the Chamber of Manufacturers) said: — Poor old New South Wales is going to be pushed right into the background. Our manufacturers cannot possibly compete with those of other States working 48 hours, neither- can our business people. The New South Wales State Arbitration Court has made an order covering employees in the Government service, increasing their working hours to forty-eight per week,