COOKS AND WAITERS.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13332, 26 January 1909, Page 8

COOKS AND WAITERS.

UNIONS MAY FEDERATE. (SFECIAI. TO "___ TRESS.") WELLINGTON, January 25. Mr E. J. Carey, secretary of tho Wellington Cooks' and Waiters* Union, leaves for tlie South to-morrow on business connected with the Dunedin Hotel and Restaurant Employees' Union. Three years ago there was no organisation among hotel and restaurant employees, ar.d little advantage was taken of the legislation then in force. However, in January. 1900. a meeting or Wellington cooks and waiters was held, and the union established then had a membership of 27. Since that date the movement hos gone ahead, and now there is a strong union in each of the four centres. With the exception of the union in Dunedin, these bodies are working under uniform conditions. The Wellington award, which formed the basis of those now operating iv Chrisichurch and Auckland, was drawn up a year a.c;o and has still another year to run. !n both Auckland and Christchurch the unions and the employers were nblo to agree on terms, and consequently no intervention of the Arbitration Court was required, co far »j the hotel employees were concerned. In Dunedin, however, the union believes that the time is now ripe tor an improvement in the conditions of labour. Tlit Southern union is determined tha". rather than accupt an agreement form, ed on the lines of tho.. at present in iorce in the other cities, it will rely on the adjudication of the Arbitration Court. A good deal of cor respond*. n-_> has passed- between the Dunedin union and tlie parent body in Wellington on tho advisability of coming to terinii with tlie employer.. Members of tho local union do not regard their award <is satisfactory, and a determined- attempt will bo made in ahout a year s time to improve tlve terms of the present award. Further, it is hoped tliat Parliament this session will come to the rescue and introduce special legislation in the interests of hotel workers, iiniilar to those ruling in Australia. With the knowledge of these facts, the Wellington union has advised the Dunedin secretary tliat it is not in a position to recommend the union to accept terms which would be a small improvement on its own award. The visit of Mr Carey and other Wellington officials to Diinediin is connected with tho attempt of the union tl__re to procure a settlement in Court. For some tinio past endeavours havo been mado to end the disipute, and tho employees have offered conditions equivalent to about 10 or 20 per cent, reduction on the terms of tho Wellington award. This has not been considered satisfactory. Even before adivioe from Wellington was obtained, the Dunedin union expressed strong opposition to these proposed terms. "When a settlement has been arrived at in Otago, a moro will be made towards federating the four unions, and following this, efforts will be directed to the organising of country districts. It is, however, felt that to establish branches in the smaller towns will be a rather difficult undertaking, because of the oft-recurring changes in hotel staffs, and the city unions will have additional burdens to bear until th© younger branches b ecoane sufficiently strong to carry on independently. There is a general feeding that an officer will be required to act for the wliole of the Cooks' and Waiters' Unions, amd to travel to all parts of tlie Dominion on their behalf.