Federation rejects union claims over staff cuts

Press, 24 December 1985, Page 4

Federation rejects union claims over staff cuts

PA Wellington The Retailers’ Federation rejects union allegations that extended Saturday »ing means further cuts. The federation’s secreS, David Lonsdale, said time work was declining in retailing. However, extended Saturday hours would increase opportunities for part-time work, he said.

However, Mr Lonsdale said Federation of Labour suggestions of a minimum pay for part-timers would compel employers to hire less staff.

Retailers had to adapt to the hours when people wanted to shop, he said.

Mr Lonsdale said the retail butchers award illustrated the effect of union inflexibility. Butchers had resisted employer requests for a normal five-aay week to include Saturday work, he said.

That meant many butchers had to work sixday weeks which resulted in exhaustion and disrupted' family life. Employers would much rather employ butchers for five days with those working on Saturday having Monday off, he said. Instead, the union was requiring that butchers be employed for a normal Monday to Friday week with any Saturday work

being overtime. Mr Lonsdale said there had also been resistence to butchers working later in the evening. However, he said union opposition was based on the outdated notion that butchers had to start work before dawn each day to prepare meat Mr Lonsdale said better refrigeration, working women buying meat later in the day and increased use of prepared meat products meant butchers were doing , less early-morning work. Attempts by employers to introduce greater flexibility in work hours had been resisted at recent award talks.