CLOTHING TRADE AWARD

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22430, 17 June 1938, Page 21

CLOTHING TRADE AWARD

EFFECT OF OVERSEAS COMPETITION DISSENT RECORDED FOR BOTH PARTIES Dissenting opinions are recorded by both the employers’ representative, Mr V. Duff, and the workers’ representative, Mr A. W. Croskery, from the judgment of the Second Court of Arbitration in the New Zealand Federated Clothing Trades Employees’ dispute. Mr Duff! dissents from the wages provided for junior female workers and journey women. He states that in his view insufficient weight has been given to evidence showing that the industry is in a very unsatisfactory trading position through (among other factors) serious competition from overseas. Mr Croskery objects to the form of bonus system incorporated in the award, contending that the union should be represented on the committee which determines the basis of payment. He also dissents from provisions for deductions from the weekly wages of workers. These, he claims, turn what is described as a weekly wage into casual employment. A 40-hour week is provided for, to be "worked from Monday to Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Recognised holidays are to be paid for as working days. Wages for fema 1 ? apprentices are from 17s a week for the first six months to £1 9s for the fourth six months; for improvers, from £1 13s for the fifth six months to £2 3s for the fourth year, and thereafter the journey woman’s minimum rate of £2 10s a week; females employed on sorting, ticketing, boxing, and distributing, from 17s for the first six months to £2 3s for the fourth year, and from then on £2 10s. The proportion of apprentices to journeywomen must not exceed two to one.

Other workers’ wages (minimum rates) are as follows:—Second-class chart-cutters, £4 17s 6d a week; stockcutters and trimmers, £4 12s 6d; examiner in charge of finishing room, £4 12s 6d; pressers, £4 12s 6d; you; 3 other than apprentices, employed on seam-opening and under-pressing, from £1 2s 6d for the first six months to £3 15s for the sixth six months, thereafter £4 ss; male machinists, £4 12s 6d; male casual workers, 2s lOd an hour. The proportion of youths to adults on pressing must be one youth to two or a fraction of two adults. Overtime is fixed at the rate of time and a half, with a minimum of Is CJ an hour. Twenty-four hours’ notice must be given by the employer to any worker called on to work overti: ? after the ordinai’y time for ceasing work; and when less than 24 hours’ notice is given Is 6d must be paid for tea money.

The following holidays are recognised; —Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day. Good Friday. Easter Monday, Anzac Day, Labour Day, and the King’s Birthday. Double rates must be paid for any work done on any of these days, as well as on Saturday afternoons or Sundays. An annual holiday of a week on full pay must b .> granted to all workers on the completion of each year of service.

The award will be in force from June 20, and will continue in force for 11 months.