CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15490, 18 January 1916, Page 2

CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

DRAPERS' ASSISTANTS' DISPUTE

The application for .1 new award in the drapery trade came before the Conciliation Commissioner, Mr J. 11. Triggs yesterday. The assessors for the employers -were Messrs 11. V. Free (Messrs Strange and Company), A. F. Carey and J. Murray (J. Ballantyne and Co.), and for the workers Messrs J. McCombs, M.P., J. S. Chisholm. and R. D. Martin. Mr F. Cooper appeared for the employers. Considerable discussion arose on the question of a minimum wage of 30s a week for females with six years' experience. Mr J. McCombs said that young women could not dress and live properly on that wage. They served long hours day after day, and the public would not mind having the extra wage passed on to them. Mr Triggs pointed but that the drapers in Duned in hsid accepted the award made in Wellington, which was to expire on September 27th of this year. Mr McCombs stated that the 1100 assistants in the trade should be consulted in regard to the minimum wage before a Dominion award was made. Many assistants would not join the union because they felt that tiiey would be "marked," and therefore would have no chance to rise to be heads of departments. The assessors sitting with him had been called "fools" for fighting for the good of all the unionists. Mr Murray (Messrs Ballantyne and Co.) said his firm had not discouraged anything to strengthen the cause of unionism. They never asked any man if he were a unionist or not. Mr McCombs said he intended no reflection on Mr Murray's firm. Mr Murray said the employers would welcome an award on a sound basis. They would gladly have a Dominion award. The assessors then retired to consider the question of accepting a short-dated award. The assistants' assessors returned, when Mr McCombs said the Union could not —even for the short time suggested—accept 30s per week as adequate compensation for female workers of six years' experience. The Union also hoped that the employers would let the preference clause be varied from the "Court" clause, and thus include all the assistants. Tho Union also claimed that there bo a compulsory half-holiday—whether there liad been a public holiday in the week or not. The employers' delegates, however, said Mr McCombs, not having power to agree to these claims, he suggested that the employers call a meeting to consider them. Mr Cooper stated that these points had all been considered by the employers, and" he thought it would be waste of time to call a meeting to retonsicier them. A good deal of discussion arose on the question of the Saturday halfholiday. Mr McCombs stated that at present several firms, or rather all the firms with the exception of two, had closed when a special holiday had fallen in tho week. There was no business doing, and 110 thought that tho holiday should J>e made compulsory. The assessors agreed to meet again to-morrow, at 10 a.m., and the Council adiourncd.