EMPLOYERS VIGOROUS PROTEST

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 256, 8 March 1911, Page 5

EMPLOYERS VIGOROUS PROTEST

CONTINUAL HARASSING BY EMPLOYEES. By Telegraph. —Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Wellington Cooks and Waiters Union cited seventy-three employers before the Arbitration Court to-day (comprising eleven oyster saloon-keepers, twenty-two restauranteurs, twenty-eight tea and luncheon-room proprietors, ana thirteen private kotelkeepers), seeking a renewal of the existing award. Mr. E. J. Carey appeared for the Union, and Mr. G. Grcutell represented four private hotclkeepcrs, and Mr. Godber the restaurant proprietors. Mr. Carey, l n opening the case for the union, said that unlike the employees in other big centres who had secured good' conditions voluntarily from the employers, the Wellington employees had to fight every inch of the way. Thirteen private hotelkecpers had been cited, and 350 employees (two-thirds of whom were women) were concerned. The Union sought for a full preference clause, and improved wages, averaging 2s Od to 5s advance on the present conditions, the demands being generally based on those conceded by the court in the hotel workers award. It could be shown that if the new scale was applied to the largest private hotel in Wellington it would only increase the weekly wage bill by 17s. The hours sought were 52 for females, and 60 for males. The maximum for this class of work had been fixed by the Legislature, The President: Would it not bo a reflection on Parliament to reduce the maximum it has fixed?

Mr. Carey replied that two years ago the employers granted a (K) hours' and 52 hours' week for males and females respectively. The Legislature only fixed the maximum.

The President: That is all the court does.

Mr. Carey went on to say that the wages asked for were really not sufficient to keep the average adult married employee in a condition proper to a civilised community. Preference was asked ifor because it it was not received

St was impossible for the Union to curry on collective bargaining unless it could keep its members together. _ Evidence was then heard, after which, in opening the employers' case, Mr. Grenfell said that theyhad obtained no rest during the last four or five years. There was either litigation in the courts or efforts to secure legislation affecting the industry. These tactics had been much resented by the employers, who, however, did not complain of the union "ming to the Arbitration Court. What was generally resented throughout New Zealand was the way in which the union first secured all possible concessions from the employers and no sooner were those obtained than the court was appealed to. After the court's award was made there were persistent efforts, resulting in the Shops and Offices Act. No sooner was this Act passed, reducing hours and imposing other conditions which were unfair and unworkable in regard to the limit of hours, than the Arbitration Court was asked to grant further concessions. The employers felt that they were entitled to ask that a stop be put to the continual harassing and disturbance of business that went on. They appealed to the court to emphasise its disapproval of the tactics tit the union in see-sawing from the court to Parliament in their efforts to secure a 48 hours' week. There would be no peace if their present demands were granted. The employers did not wish to reduce the present wages, but if the demands were granted some employers would be driven out. An injustice had been done to the private hotelkeepers by Parliament in fixing the maximum hours for women workers at six less than they worked in licensed houses. The effect of the legislation was that hours were reduced, but there was no provision for a corresponding reduction of wages. "In order to put a stop to the tactics nf the union," concluded Mr. Grenfell, "I ask that no award be made in this dispute. They have ample protection in regard to hours of work, holidays and overtime, in the Shops and Offices Act." The further hearing of the case was fixed for to-morrow.