HOURS OF WORK AND WAGES

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21858, 11 August 1936, Page 16

HOURS OF WORK AND WAGES

TAILORING TRADE DISPUTE SATURDAY MORNING BUSINESS Wages and hours of work in the be- ■' spoke tailoring trade were discussed in Conciliation Council yesterday morning, and it was finally decided to adjourn the hearing till the hours had been fixed by the Arbitration Court. The employers offered the 1931 rates of wages, and held that workrooms should be open on Saturday mornings. The employees’ claims were for increases on the 1931 rates with ! reduced working hours. The conciliation commissioner (Mr S. Ritchie) presided. The employers assessors were Messrs D. I. Macdonald J Bierman. J. Pryce Jones, and J. w. Thornton. The employees’ assessors were Mr J. W. Roberts, Miss A. Robinson, Messrs W. J. Butterfield, and C. J. Mr Macdonald contended that it was the personal service given by the tailoring firms that kept their customers from buying ready-made articles. It was necessary to have the workrooms coen on Saturday morning to give the continuity of service. Mr Roberts said that customers would make adjustments to meet the case. They formerly were accustomed to having alterations made on Saturday afternoon. In reply to Mr Bierman he said that the aim was to secure a longer week-end for the workers. It was their own concern how they the question of wages he said that Auckland employers had in some cases granted more than the 1931 rates. Mr Macdonald said that the position of the trade was no better than in 1926, when the wages ruling up to 1931 were drawn up. Mr Roberts said that the bespoke trade would have an advantage over the factories under the wage restora- «■ lions. The costs in the factories ' would be proportionately higher because of the juvenile labour involved and the larger increases necessary by legislation. From the competitive point of view, therefore, the tailors would have the advantage. The trade was in a better position now than it was five or six years ago. As an indication there were now eight appren-* tices in the trade, whereas some years ago there were none. The increases on the 1931 wages asked for were small, ranging from 2s 6d a week for journey women, and 10s a week for journeymen An increase of from Is 5d to Is 8i an hour was asked for piece-workers. . The employers’ assessors contended that costs had risen since 1931, and held to the offer of'the 1931 rates, which Mr Roberts said was making a virtue of necessity.