TAILORING TRADE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 May 1938, Page 3

TAILORING TRADE

NEW AWARD SOUGHT. Application for an award to operate throughout the Wellington industrial district was made in the Second Court of Arbitration yesterday. The dispute was between the Wellington Tailors, Tailoresses and other Clothing Trades Employees’ Industrial Union of 'Workers and the Wellington Master Tailors’ Association and others. After hearing evidence and argument, the court reserved its decision. A partial agreement had been reachcd in Conciliation Council, and the issues in dispute yesterday were hours of work, wages, an overtime clause, holidays, general conditions and the term of the award.

The workers’ representative claimed that the hours should be worked between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday to Friday inclusive, as against the employers' request for the provisions of the Factories Act. Mr Newton claimed that the five-day week was generally observed in Wellington, and operated satisfactorily. Objection was raised to the team system, which, it was claimed, was thrust on the union. Attempts to work this system, said Mr Newton, had been found impracticable because the quality of the work required in high-class tailoring could not be maintained. The union asked for a wage of £6 weekly for tailors and tailors’ pressers. “They are undoubtedly the most highly skilled of all clothing workers,” said Mr Newton, “and on their knowledge and skill has been built up every branch of clothing manufacture.”