NO AGREEMENT.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20756, 17 January 1933, Page 4

NO AGREEMENT.

RESTAURANT WORKERS' DISPUTE. HEARING ADJOURNED TILL FEBRUARY. The Canterbury tearoom and restaurnut workers' dispute was heard in the Conciliation Council yesterday. No agreement was reached at the end of the day and an adjournment was made to February 8. The Conciliation Commissioner, Mr S. Ritchie, presided. The assessors were:—Employers: Miss Trent, Colonel F. Cresswell, and Messrs H. Johnson and D. I. Macdonald. Employees: Messrs F. G. Young (Auckland), E A. Brooks, E. G. East, and (!. J. Athflelcl. Proposals of Employers. The employers' proposals were:— Hours of work: Not more than 48 a week or more than 10 a day or more than five continuously. Holidays: Six days' work only a week, Sunday workers to have the right to take 10 days' holiday a quarter to compensate for loss of Sunday holiday. Wages: Male kitchen hands or pantrymen 17s 6d a week to 38s a week when under 17 years of age, depending on the length of service; 22s Od a week to 38s a. week when between 17 and 20; 25s a week to 38s a week when over 20 years of age. Female kitchen hands 12s (id to 30s a week when under 17; 17s 6d to 30s a week when between 17 and 20; and 20s to 30s a week when over 20 years of Waiters, bar-attendants, countermands, or dispensers 22s Gd to 3!>s fid a week when under .18; 25s to 39s f>d when between 18 and 20; and 27s 6(1 to 39s 6d when over 20 years of age. Waitresses, pantry-maids, bar-attend-ants, counter-hands, or dispensers, l.'s to 30s a week when under 10; 17s fid to 30s a week when over 19. Male cooks: Where three cooks are employed, chief cook £3 Bs, second cook £2 4s Cd, third cook or others £1 19s (id; where two cooks are employed, chief cook £2 13s, second cook £2 2s; where one cook is employed, £2 2s. Female cooks: Where three cooks are employed, chief cook £3. second cook £2, third cook or others £1 12s; where two cooks are employed, chief cook £ 2 ."is, second cook £1 15s: where one cook is employed, £1 17s Cd. Laundresses: £1 5s a week. Porters: £1 18s a week for day work, £2 a week for night work. Basis on Auckland Agreement Sought. A Dominion dispute was held in Wellington recently but no agreement was reached, and at the opening of proceedings yesterday the employers stated that it would not be much use going further if the employees were not prepared to concede more than the Wellington employees. The employees' representatives claimed that such was an arbitrary stand and contended further that a complete agreement had been reached in a similar dispute in Auckland, and that it was reasonable to take that agreement as a basis for discussion in the present instance. After an adjournment the assessors for the workers offered the Auckland agreement as reached recently as a basis for settlement in place of their first counter-proposal of the present award. Employers' Offer Amended. The employers' assessors retired and deliberated upon that offer, and as a ! result made several amendments to I their first proposal. Their suggestion was (!) that the hours of work be as iu the present award with the exception that the interval which has to elapse before workers may be brought back to work should be 10 hours rather than 11 as in the present award. (2) That holidays be as in the present award. (3) That all reference to age be dropped where included in the employers' proposals, and that the various terms for a wage be reduced to a sixmonthly period instead of a year as proposed. That made the wages for a male kitchen hand range from 17s Cd to 38s, for a female kitchen hand from 17s Cd to 30s. for waiters from 22s 6d to 39s 6d, and for waitresses from 15s to 30s. (4) That the chief cook's wages be increased to £3 18s and £3 30s in the first division and £2 18s and £2 10s in the second division. (5) That the wages for u laundress be advanced to £1 10s. Generally the employers claimed that they wished to retain all other points iu their proposal made originally. After the employees' representatives had considered the offer it was'decided to adjourn till February 8. Views of Assessors. For the employees' assessors MiYoung said that even the offer made by the employers was very far removed from the terms of the Auckland agreement. It would be necessary to refer the suggestions made to the workers. He, personally, did not think that there was any chance of au agreement being reached on such a basis, although the. workers would have to make the final decision. The wage cuts suggested were from 50 per cent, to 14 per cent. Surely, therefore, it was. up to the employers to bring forward strong arguments in support of their claims. For the employers, Mr Macdonald said that they were sincere in their desire to reach an agreement. In adjourning the meeting the Commissioner expressed the opinion that a settlement would be reached when the dispute was heard again.