MERCHANTS' ASSISTANTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 54, 25 August 1911, Page 2

MERCHANTS' ASSISTANTS.

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Thursday. A deputation from the Merchants' Assistants' Union waited on the Minister of Labor to-day. Mr. McLaren, M.P., said the deputation's presence was* due to the fact that so much pressure was being put on individual workers to prevent them taking advantage of the Arbitration Act that the organisation desired to have the matter settled peaceably. He found that pressure was being exercised in a way that placed them in a most invidious position. The secretary of the union said that employees were getting very low wages, the union was registered, and there were about 350 members.. Demands were made, and one leading establishment sent round a petition among its men, asking them to sign a statement that they were not in favor of the union and did not acquiesce in the demands. Men had either to sign or lose their job.

The Hon. Mr. Millar, in reply, said the matters put before him were anything but pleasant, because he "would have thought that during the 17 years the Act had been in force no body of employers would 'have been found to have opposed the formation of a union. From the facts stated he thought there was very great necessity for the formation of a union and the review of the whole of the conditions of those workers. He thought the employers might yet see their way to agree 'voluntarily to an arrangement. If the-.- did not do that, they would be bound by any award that was made.