Club workers’ settlement

Press, 17 December 1986, Page 9

Club workers’ settlement

Workers in chartered clubs will receive a 7.5 per cent wage increase when their new award comes into effect on January 1.

The settlement ends the threat of industrial action this week and over the Christmas-New Year holidays.

Two hours of informal talks yesterday afternoon led to the 7.5 per cent settlement. Formal agreement before a conciliator would take place later, said the secretary of the (

Canterbury branch of the Hotel Workers’ Union, Mr Martin Moodie. The settlement included improved bereavement leave provisions but not the new provisions relating to hourly workers which the employers had demanded, he said.

These clauses would have reduced the extra amount received by hourly workers and were bitterly opposed by the union.

The employers’ advov

cate, Mr Paul Bell, said he was satisfied with the settlement, but warned that the hourly worker issue would be pursued in the next round of award talks.

It was unfortunate that many workers has lost money through last week’s industrial action for the sake of an additional half a per cent wage increase, he said.

Describing it as a very good settlement, Mr Moodie praised the com.-

mon sense and practical approach shown by Canterbury employers last week. Eight Canterbury working men’s clubs negotiated house agreements of 8 per cent, without the hourly worker provisions, and this helped force a settlement of the national award.

Workers in these clubs would be paid the 8 per cent increase until January 1, when they would revert to the award figure, he said. ',