NO AGREEMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 194, 17 August 1932, Page 5

NO AGREEMENT.

CONCILIATION COUNCIL PRIVATE HOTEL WORKERS, SHARP VERBAL DUEL. The employers refusing to modify their proposals, and the workers refusing to consider the employer*' proposals in regard to wages as even a basis for di«s- - tlio conciliation council held in Wellington yesterday in the private hotel workers' dispute made no progress toward an agreement, with the result that the existing award will expire after 30 days. The council first met some days ago, but adjourned in order that the parties might consider the position. When the proceedings wen; resinned yesterday (reports the "Post' , ), .Air. \V. J. Mountjoy said that the employers were determined to stand by their proposals iii regard to classification and wages. He read letter* from a number of employers, all of whom expressed opposition to any proposal to refer the matter to the Arbitration Court. One letter stated that unless tlie proposals of the employers were accepted the award could go by the boa r<l. A Workers.' Assessor: That is conciliation. Mr. J. Roberts (agent for the workers): Yes, compulsory conciliation. Mr. Mountjoy 6&% L they were quite prepared to come to an agreement with tho workers. A Workers' Assessor: Xot making an agreement, dictating an agreement. Mr.. ■Mountjoy: Unfortunately, we can't dictate to you.

Xo doubt you would like to. —Xo, I would not say that. '•That Is The Position." Mr. Roberts said lie took it that the position was that the employers were sticking to their original claims. Mr. Mountjoy: That is the position. Mr. Roberts: And that is your idea of conciliation. Mr. Koberts declared that the proposals of the employers would mean the dismissal of 50 per cent of the present staff of private hotels. Surely they did not seriously ask ■ the employees to accept such proposals, which were quite unfair. Mr. Mountjoy said that some of the private hotels in Xew Zealand were in a. desperate plight and could not carry on under present conditions. Unless they received some relief they would go out of business. The private hotels had been hit in many wav<*. People visiting the cities for sports .fixtures and so on did not remain overnight, but returned the same day. Mr. Roberts: Do you mean to say that by reducing the wages of waitresses you will get people to stay? We will have the hotels operating- with coolie wages. Mr. Mountjoy: Oh, no. Not Acceptable. Mr. Roberts said the workers wanted to come to an agreement, but they could not accept the employers' proposals. The worker* maintained that a hotel was not the right environment for girls from 15 to 1C years of age. Mr. Mountjoy said that in the engineering trade, in which the award had expired, the wagesjiad not been reduced. Mr. Roberts: In'one''engineering shop in Wellington two engineers are working at, the bench, ,and are beingpaid less than the genera) labourer who wait* on them. If the. employers are such good fellows, why is it necessary to employ such a large staff of factory inspectors to see that they do the right thing?— There are good employers who will be forced to reduce wages owing to unfair competition; Mr. H. J. G. Hughes (an employers' assessor) said that the hotel proprietors had been hit more' than itnybpdv else. They had exploited every avenue, of economy before . making the present proposals.

Overhead Charges. Mr. Roberts: Have they exploited the paying of frightful overhead charges '. What you are trying to do is to put it on to little girls to carry the burden of the bunks.—Well, you will have to put it on them yourselves. We can't agree to it- It is'too great a burden. Mr. Mountjoy said the employers had not taken full' advantage of the rates of pay allowed under the Shops and Offices' Act. Mr. Roberts said that under the old awp.rd the lowest wage paid to male, employees was £2 7/0. Under the present proposals it would be 15/. That was a fairly tidy drop. Mr. Mountjoy said it had to be remembered that the hotel employees received free board and lodging., which was worth 30/ a week. That brought the wage up to £2 .">/ a week. Mi , . Roberts said the employers were committing economic suicide in asking for reduced wngos, as it was the reduced wages which had made their business so bad. Mr. Hughes: We would be as well dead as we are now. Mr. Roberts: I don't mind 'anybody committing suicide so long as he doesn"t try to put the other fellow in the hole as well. The workers' assessors then retired, and on resuming Mr. Roberts said it appeared that the employers were making no attempt at conciliation. The workers could not agree to a reduction iu wages. He would be very surprised if the Government of New Zealand allowed the boys and girls to go unprotected. The workers were prepared to discuss the whole matter, but they could not take the employers' proposals in regard to wages as even a basis for discussion. Mr. Mountjoy said he was surprised at the attitude" of the workers, in view of the general conditions prevailing throughout the land. After further discussion, it was proposed by the workers that the dispute should be referred "to the Arbitration Court, but this was lust.