GROCERS' DISPUTE

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21323, 16 November 1934, Page 8

GROCERS' DISPUTE

♦ CONSIDERATION BY COUNCIL OF CONCILIATION AGREEMENT IN PART REACHED A .council of conciliation, presided over by the Conciliation Commissioner, Mr S. Ritchie, considered the industrial dispute affecting grocers' assistants and arrived at agreement in part The union's proposals relating to first shopman, or branch manager, were referred to the Court of ArbitrationThe Canterbury Master Grocers ,m dustrial Union of Employers applied for an agreement; the Cantejwry Grocers' Assistants Industtial Umo of Workers was cited Assessors for the./PPUcanls w « Messrs A. E. Kincaid S. Moore, « Tuck, C. J. Forbes, and D. I. Racoon aid (representative). Assessors for the employees were Mesa - J. _ * Oliver, T. H. Butterfield, W. J. ree "' and A. W. Croskery (agent). Mr A. Sutherland, on behalf of »° Self Help Company, Ltd., asked ttuj his company be given represartatg on the council, and stated that if tt» could not be done the company reserved the right to disagree wittt aw decisions the council might reacn. Mr Ritchie said that the employers assessors had been appointed, ana j» Tuck represented the chain stores, rw could not allow a further assessor from Mr Sutherland's company, but xwj agreement would probably go betore the Arbitration Court, and an objection could be entered then. The employers proposed a 48-nour week with a graduated scale of weetuj wages for assistants and drivers, rang ing from 13s 6d for a boy under we age of 16 years, to £4 5s 6d. This general scale of wages was accepted, and agreement was reacneu on other major points. The parties differed in their proposals for ine wages of first shopmen or men w charge, and for the termination of engagements. The employees asked tnai the first shopman or assistant "j charge of a shop or a branch snop should be paid £5 10s. , On resuming after the luncheon adjournment there was much discussion regarding the inclusion in the awara of the first shopman, or branch manager. Mr Macdonald said that the employers were not prepared to agree w the union's proposals as there was a" appeal before the Court of Arbitration against the refusal of the Regis- , trar of Industrial Unions to regiSw the guild. It was understood tharaw court would give its decision to-day. and the decision would affect the employers' attitude on the question. Mr Croskery suggested that tne clause in the Auckland and Wellington awards relating to branch managers should be included in the awara. with the proviso that it should nw apply to branch managers covered m the guild agreement. , After a long discussion it was decided to refer the clause to the court. The clause relating to the termination of employment was amended w provide that one week's notice shouw be given by employer or employ* "unless a lesser period has been agreed upon in writing by employer and employee." It was decided to recommend that the term of the award should be for two years. The date of the commence- '. ment of the award was left to tne court.