NEW AWARD FOR STOREMEN

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22318, 4 February 1938, Page 20

NEW AWARD FOR STOREMEN

CANTERBURY INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT TERMS SIMILAR TO THOSE IN REST OF DOMINION The new award for wool, grain, j hide and manure stores employees in ; the Canterbury industrial district, which has just been issued by the Second Arbitration Court is similar in its terms to the award recently announced for other districts in the Dominion. Provision is made for a 40-hour fivedav week, from Monday to Friday. with the proviso that any worker may be empfoved for four hours on Saturdav between 7.30 a.m. and noon at ordinarv rates of pay. A weekly worker"so employed shall be paid, in addition to the weekly wage. Hainan time rates assessed on an hourlj oasis for the time worked. The wages clauses set out that casual workers shall be paid not less than 2s .=>d an hour and permanent hands not less than £4 12s.fid a week. An additional pavment of 3d an hour is to be made to "workers mixing manures or bagging manures by hand: and workers classing hides and sheepskins, setting grass-seed and grain-cleaning machines, and sampling seed or grain will receive 2d an hour extra. For the classing of rabbitskins or wool 4d an hour extra will be paid. The head storeman. who is defined as a storeman substantially employed at manual labour and in charge of other workers, will be paid 10s a week extra if m charge of two or more workers (other than casuals) up to five, and £1 a week extra if in charge of more than five. Overtime Rates Overtime is fixed at the rate of time and a half for the first four hours and double time thereafter. New Year's Dav. Good Friday. Easter Saturdav. Easter" Monday. Labour Day. Christmas Day. and Boxing Day are recognised holidays, together with Show X*ry in the area north of the river and the Sovereign s birthdav in the southern area. An annual holiday of one week on full pay is provided for. Youths may be employed at not less than the following rates:—Under 17 vears of age. £1 5s a week; 17 to 17i vears of age. £1 10s a week: 17J to 18 vears of age, £1 15s a week: 18 to 19 .rears of age. £2 2s 6d: 19 to 20 years of age. £2 12s 6d: 20 to 21 years of age. £3 2s 6d a week. The proportion of youths shall be not more than one to every four adult workers or fraction of four, except in the case of rabbitskin stores, where it snail be not more than one youth to every two adult workers or fraction of two. Retrospective in Effect In so far as it relates to wages, the award is operative as from January 1, 1938. and for other conditions as from January 31. It will continue in force until December 31, 1938. The employers' representative on the Court (Mr W. E. Anderson) disagrees with the hours of work, weekly wage for permanent hands and head storemen, wages of boys, and the extra payment for workers employed classing wool and rabbitskins, on similar grounds to those set out in his dissenting opinion attached to the award recently issued for other industrial districts. EXEMPTED FROM AWARD STOREMEN EMPLOYED BY PRODUCE MERCHANTS CFBXS3 ASSOCIATION TELIGBJOC.) WELLINGTON, February 3. The New Zealand storemen and packers' award issued yesterday exempts storemen employed by fruit and produce merchants. The secretary of the Storemen and Packers* Union, Mr John Tucker, said to-day that steps were now being taken to obtain a separate Dominion award to cover these workers, who, at present, appeared to be without protection. He believed the reason for thenexemption was the special nature of* the. work in fruit and produce stores, which handled a great deal of perishable goods. j