HOTEL EMPLOYEES' DEMANDS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13683, 17 March 1910, Page 7

HOTEL EMPLOYEES' DEMANDS.

UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT AT CONCILIATION.

(fress association* telegram.)

WELLINGTON. March 16.

To-day a meeting of the Conciliation Council was held to discuss the demands of the hotel employees. Mr P. Hally, Conciliation Commissioner, prosided, and the assessors were Messrs McParland, Diver and Beveridge (employers), and E. J. Carey, E. Marks and T. Helyer (employees). Tho chairman said the main questions of hours, wages and preference were unsettled. Mr Beveridge said when the matters at issue were placed before the members of the executive of the Licensed Victuallers' Association, and other members of "the trade," it was at once apparent that not one-third of them, would agree to the demands as to hours, wages and preference. The matters were fully discussed and thoroughly gone into, but he regretted to state that "the trade" could not ace its way clear to aocep*t any of the demands set forth. The onion was pledged by its objects to serve for. a six-day week of forty-eight hoars for all male workers, and a six-day week of forty-two hours for all female workers in the trade, and aa such would mean the ruin of every employer engaged in the business, and any agreement arrived at could only he of a temporary character, the employers could not see their way to assist in bringing about such an undesirable state of Affairs. •Mr T. Long, representing the workers, said the attitude taken up by the I employers was not in accordance with i the terms laid down in the Conciliation Act. They were making no attempt at conciliation. They merely said, "No, we decline to discuss the matter any further; we are going to the Court. But if the matter was going to the Court, then there would be a repetition of the old-time bitterness. Some effort should have been made to settle this dispute. It was useless for both workers and employers to be everlastingly bickering. Seeing that "the trade" relied upon the workers at tho local option poll, this waa an unjustifiable attitude for the employers to take up. There would be such a howl set uo throughout the length and breadth or the country over this,, that the hotelkeepers would be very sony the way they had acted. / Mr Beveridge: These are threats, in effect it means that you will remember us at the polls. If this is what you s want, then the sooner we know where we are the better. You are asking the; hotel employees to vote against their own living. How can you ask us to be* conciliatory? We hay© given you our . reasons why we are asking for the ward of the Court as it at present stands. Since that award was made we have had a .very bad time, and the out-J look is not too bright, but on top of that you asked for 100 per cent, increase in wages and shorter hours. ; Ihese demands you subsequently modified, but you still ask for a very large increase of pay and shorter hours, if tlie conditions were fair when the award was made, and "the trade" was prosperous, they should be fair.to-day, now: that times are bad.

The Chainnxn remarked* that there were a number of points on which the parties had agreed. . v Mr Beveridge: But a large number of the .employer's would not aga it. j The Chairman added that he could only refer the matter to the Arbitration Court, but he believed the Court ? -nould refer it back to him again.