Self-service opposed

Press, 13 August 1976, Page 18

Self-service opposed

Tt would be "a damn good idea if New Zealand retailers back to person-to->erson sales instead of following the trend to selfservice shops said the secretary of the Canterbury’ Shop Assistants’ Union (Mr B. Alderdice). Mr Alderdice returned toj Christchurch on Tuesday; evening after a 10-week tour| with his wife. Marianne. Hei is a Labour city councillor 1 and former chairman of the council’s housing committee, and the national secretary of’ the Shop Employees' Associa- ’ tion. Mr Alderdice spent twoi weeks m China, and returned' full of admiration for its pro-1 gress. _l

“One of the reasons why China is not going in for the self-service system is that person-to-person contact is felt important,” he said. The relationship between retailer and customer had reached the stage in London 'and Germany where super- | market cashiers did not even ihand the change to their J customers. The change came : out of an automatic I machine. China appeared io be the {only country that knew 'where it was going, said Mr I Alderdice. Margins for skill were bei ing phased out, so that eventually a doctor would earn the same as a farmer, and I the doctor would be expected to do his share of work in the fields. Each person ( was regarded as of equal lvalue. I Asked what incentive there was to work hard if a highe wage was not paid, M Alderdice said that laz workers were put in a diffi I cult position. Thev

strongly criticised by their fellow workers. On the other hand, those who were successful were 1 given publicity. For example, their photographs might appear in a poster on a factory wall. But the mam incentive for hard work was ideological, said Mr Alderdice. "There is a total involvement in the movement towards a socialist system. The most noticeable thing was that the people have reached a level of understanding of where) they're going." he said. Mr Alderdice’s tour was partly paid for by his Shop Employees’ Association, and partly” by himself. His expenses in China were paid for by the People’s Republic. He returned with the firm impression that shop assistants in New Zealand have a rood deal. “People who work tn shops n New Zealand should go to nv length to retain the egular Monday-to-Friday veek and constant working nip-c.” he sam