CLASSIFICATION OF STOREMAN

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22464, 27 July 1938, Page 16

CLASSIFICATION OF STOREMAN

GAS COMPANY EMPLOYEE MATTER OF PRINCIPLE INVOLVED The classification of an employee of the Christchurch Gas, Coal, and Coke Company, Ltd., R. Newman, as an assistant storeman under the provisions of the Christchurch gasworks employees’ industrial award was the issue in a case placed before the second Court of Arbitration yesterday. Mr K. G. Archer, for the Gas Workers’ Union, said that the company had failed to pay Newman'the wages of an assistant storeman. It was a matter of importance that the award had been arrived at by the complete agreement of both parties. Evidence given in the lower Court showed that the whole of Newman’s time was spent in a store at the works; he was classified by the company as an assistant foreman; he was engaged to replace a man named Scott who, for many years, had been classified and paid as an assistant storeman: substantially his duties were the same as those of four other employees all classified and paid as assistant storemen; and half his work comprised general store work, the other half being equally distributed between renovating gas cookers and heaters and assembling new ones. No statement was given in the evidence why Newman did not receive the wages of an assistant foreman except that he was a junior employee. The company was not able to classify him in any position that did not come under the award. If it were said that this man was engaged on assembly or repair work he should come under the mechanics’ award. For the defendant company. Mr W. Covvlishavv contended that while Newman was doing much the same class of work as the other men ho was not doing the intricate work as the man whom ho replaced. Evidence had been given by the assistant manager of the gasworks that ho did not know that the men called themselves “assistant foremen.” which classification they themselves had apparently adopted. Mr Justice Hunter, who presided, said that there was an important matter of principle involved in the case. The Court reserved its decision.