NEW AWARD ASKED

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 897, 14 February 1930, Page 11

NEW AWARD ASKED

HARDWARE WORKERS Thirty employers were involved in a question submitted to the Arbitration Court today, concerning the advisability of making a separate award for the wholesale ironmongery and hardware section of the Auckland .Storemen’s and Packers’ Union. On behalf of the union, Mr. W. Miller explained that an award made in 1921 formerly covered the ironmongery and hardware section, there being then retail and wholesale portions. The union, however, was deregistered in 1925. and the employees in hardw’are and ironmongery retail firms came under the Shop Assistants’ Aw r ard. The wholesale section was therefore left “high and dry” until last year, when the employees joined the United Storemen’s Union, but their wages and conditions were not governed by award, and the rates of pay were exceedingly low. The employers’ representative, Mr. S. E. Wright, said the employers considered the present rate of wages and the conditions were fair and reasonable. As there was no dispute between the workers and the employers, lie considered there was no necessity to make an award. Mr. Wright admitted that the evidence indicated that a number of assistants were receiving less than the wage fixed by the award in Dunedin. Information from 19 employers, however, proved that a number of employees were paid in excess of award rates. He pointed out that if an award was made, the prevailing unemployment would be accentuated, as employers would be compelled to shorten staffs, and, therefore, if an award increasing wages was forced on the employers, the union must take the responsibility for any reductions in staffs. After hearing lengthy evidence, Mr. Justice Frazer said that the court had decided an award should be made to cover the wholesale hardware and ironmongery assistants. He said it appeared that the older men were being treated all right, but this was not the case with the younger assistants. The court felt that a junior with three years’ experience should be paid the same rate in the wholesale business as he was in the retail trade. There was a marked difference in the rates of pay, and the court, as keeper of the country’s conscience in regard to rates of pay and conditions, considered that conscience was being violated in this case.

The matter was referred to the Conciliation Council with a view to drafting conditions and rates of pay suitable to both parties. (Proceeding.)