Work-hours protest

Press, 22 February 1978, Page 19

Work-hours protest

PA Wellington The Shop Employees’ Association will take legal action against employers who reduce the working hours of full-time staff. It has also decided to support fully any action members might take, including strikes, in protest against any reductions. The decisions were made after a meeting of the Retailers’ Federation’s board of directors had rejected association proposals for joint action to deal with the problem of falling sales and staff cuts. A spokesman for the association, Mr R. J. Campbell, said in Wel 1 ing-

ton that his organisation opposed the intention of many employers to reduce the working hours of fulltime staff and would take two test cases before the Industrial Court. It considered any reduction in hours a breach of awards. The association was looking at taking action against companies in either Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, or Taranaki which had reduced hours. Mr Campbell said that the action, if successful, could result in more sackings (the industry has shed an estimated 10,000 full-time workers in the last year). “We do not want redun-

dancies but it is vital we protect the full-time core of the industry,” he said. The association would also ask for the reconvening of conciliation talks on the non-food award to negotiate specifically for the protection of working hours.Employers had previously given an assurance that there would be no increase in the “part-time component” of the industry but were now going ahead with proposals to “significantly increase” the number of part-timers. The non-food award covers about 25.000 shop employees.