SCISSORS AND COMB.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 232, 1 October 1925, Page 12

SCISSORS AND COMB.

THE MEN "WHO USE THEM

SEEKING BETTER CONDITIONS.

A weekly wage of £4 17/6, a weeks holiday on full pay, and a full holiday on certain other general holidays, were the matters in dispute when the Auckland hairdressers applied at the Arbitration Court yesterday afternoon for a variation of their award. Mr. S. E. Wright appeared for the employers, and Mr. H. Mayo for the Union. Mr. Mayo said the Union was asking nothing unusual — only what was reasonable and what had already been granted by the court in other centres. Wanganui bad recently been granted £4 17/G, and that was what the Union wanted in Auckland. The employers offered £4 5/. Mr. Mayo added that be understood the principal point in dispute was tbe Saturday half holiday which was being applied for. Mr. Justice Frazer: You are relying on what the court did at Otago, Wellington and Wanganui in regard to wages? Mr. Mayo: Yes. We have asked for ten days' holiday per annum. Three whole days, which are at present partial days, and a full week. In other centres the annual holiday has been granted. On the question of wages, Mr. Wright said that the present rate was just about 60 per cent above tbe pre-war rate, but very few hairdressers were paid the minimum. An increase to £4 17/6 would amount to a 77J per cent increase over 1914. He reminded the court that the hours bad been reduced from 52 to 48. In regard to the partial holidays on January 2, Easter Monday and Boxing Day, tie employers were asking that closing time be 1 p.m., instead of 11 a.m. at present. These holidays aU came in conjunction with others, and it was a long break for shops to" be shut for several days. Auckland was always full of visitors on these holidays, and it was an inconvenience to tbe public for the shops to be shut. The employees sought a full holiday. The annual holiday would result in a virtual increase of 2/6 a week in wages. If it was granted by the Court, then he urged that it be not retrospective. Mr. Mayo: We do not want it to be retrospective. We are only asking what is reasonable.

On the question of the half . holiday, Mr. Wright said that 65 proprietors out of 60 approached had signed a petition that it be optional to observe it either on Wednesday or Saturday. Jonathan W. Coleman said that there was no doubt the compulsory Saturday closing resulted in a loss of business. There were a number of shops conducted by foreigners in partnership, employing no labour, and therefore not affected by the legal closing hour. This competition was unfair. Witness said that he had no objection to a clause being inserted in the award providing for single-handed shops employing no labour having special concessions. Mr. Mayo pointed out that there were 133 parties cited in the award, yet only 65 had signed the petition, but Mr. Wright retorted that only the town proprietors had been approached. , Decision was reserved.