FIRST AGREEMENT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 304, 18 August 1932, Page 5

FIRST AGREEMENT

(Press Assn

UNDER NEW SYSTEM shop assistants' dispute is settled BY conciliation parties congratulated

i. — By Telegraph — Copyright)

j Wellington, Wednesday. In the Conciliation Council, parties to the shop assistants' industrial dispute reached the first complete agreement with Dominion wide application, since the Amended Arbitration I Act came into operation. The agreement, which forms_. the substance of the new Dominion award, was finalised at the close of a long meeting. It was previously agreed that as " simultaneous propbsals had been submitted for each main centre, the agreement should have" simtldf application. The only question outstanding is that concerning under-rate workers, unanimity not being effect ed, and it is agreed to refer the elause to the Arbitration Court. Hours, holidays, rates of pay for adult male and female workers, storemen and packers were unch'anged. The principal alterations were in the clauses covering elassification bf work. The new scale, covering employment, both of male and female assistants from 16 years to 21 years, has been approved. The rates of pay, more particularly toward the end of the five year termj have been reduced. Overtime has been reduced to time and a-half with th'e minimum of 1 F- per hou'r. A casual worker is defined as one employed for less than one week, the actual workers to he paid 20 per cent. above the ordinary rats, with the minimum of 1/- per hour. After the agreement had been signed, the Commissioner congratulated the representatives of both sides.