Chartered clubs feel effects of strike

Press, 2 March 1981, Page 6

Chartered clubs feel effects of strike

Chartered and licensed clubs in Christchurch had their activities severely limited this week-endbe-cause of a two-day strike by employees, : The strike was by all members bf the Hotel Workers Union who come under the chartered clubs’ award in Christchurch and ' Rangibra. A stop-work meeting of more than 100 members in Christchurch last week decided ‘ tp strike each Friday and -Saturday until the employers returned to, conciliation. The president of the New Brighton,. Working Men’s Club, Mr J, ’ Aldridge said that the club had managed with only one bar open, served by the manager. Patronage in the downstair bar had been down about 50 per cent on Friday evening and about 60 per cent on Saturday evening. Patronage for the whole club had been down at least 75 per cent on both nights, Entrance had been retricted to the New Brighton ciub members only and no guests were admitted. Ladies night in the lounge bar upstairs had had to be cancelled, Mr Aldridge said. If the club workers went On strike again next Friday and Saturday, attendance percentages ’ would go down even further, which would mean a big loss for the club. The Christchurch R.S.A. Club was forced to close on Friday and Saturday because the' bar manager was oh holiday,' and the secretarymanager, Mr J. Green, is not barman. The Christchurch Working Men’s Club . has cancelled meals and lounge entertainments on Friday and

Saturday evenings until further notice, and has given notice that other services would be restricted. On Wednesday and Saturday evening there will be housie as usual, Mr R. F. Cottam, the president of the Oxford Working Men’s club, said that patronage; at the club had been heavy on Friday evening- bevause it was their annual elections, but on Saturday hours were restricted from 5.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. The bar was manned by the sfecre-tary-manager only. Mr G. D. Harding, secretary of the Canterbury Hotel Workers’ Union, said that from visits made to clubs in Christchurch on Friday and Saturday evenings the strike was seen to be successful,

• although a strike was mostily a “no-win” situation. 1 Whether employees i worked next week-end ’ depended oh the attitude of employers, Pepple working in chartered: and licensed clubs had had parity of pay with hotels for some years, and the union was not going to allow the clock to . be turned backj he said. , - The club Workers, wanted a 14.6 per. cent pay.'.; rise, equal to that awarded to hotel workers.. The union could look at a compromise so long as it as close to the 14.6 per cent ■; increase, but c onsideratibn would be given to stepping up strike action if no satisfaction I came out of further meets ings of the union and , employers, Mr Harding said.