Big Co. does not observe Award

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 87, 15 November 1912, Page 5

Big Co. does not observe Award

BUT ASKS FOR EXEMPTION TO SAVE EICHT 808. CASE OF A WELLINGTON STOREMAN. At a recent meeting of the Wellington Amalgamated Society of Merchants' Assistants, Mr. J. Mcc (president) in the chair, the secretary placed the following letter before the meeting for their serious consideration:— "To Mr. R. A. Simpson, Ass.-Sec. Merchants' Storemen's Union. "Dear Sir, —Referring to the award just oome into operation for storemen, we beg to apply that Mr. Arthur Cole who is employed by üb, be exempted from same. He is totally unfit to do the work of an ordinary storeman owing to age and infirmity. We are willing to pay him £2 2s. per week and shall be glad to hear from you that you authorise same.—We remain, yours faithfully, "W. G. TURNBULL & CO." The ass.-secretary stated that he had interviewed the geneiral manager of Turnbull's regarding this case, and all that could be said against the man was that his eyesight had become affected and that the insurance company would not accept him under insurance. He then interviewed the man in question, and also other storemen of the firm in this office and gathered the following statement: Mr. Cole has been in the firm as storeman for over 28 years, and could do as much work as any of the storemen in the firm. The award states he must receive £2 10s. per week, which means only Bs. of a rise, he having received the same salary ever since he started with the firm. The ass.secretary concluded by stating that the matter was in the union's hands to do as they thought fit. After a great deal of discussion, it was left in the hands of the secretaries to do their best for the man in Question.