WORK IN HOTELS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 766, 15 March 1910, Page 9

WORK IN HOTELS.

A CONFERENCE. SOME PLAIN SPEAKING. Demands put forward by hotel workers, ikrough their unions, were the subject >f a further conference which was hold jeforo the Conciliation Commissioner (Mr. P. Haily) yesterday morning. The employers were represented by Messrs. John Boveridgo (Grand Hotel), Francis M'Parlnnd (Hotel • Cecil), and foseph Dwyer (Club Hotel). ' The repre;ontatives of the employees were Messrs. E. J. Carey (secretary of/ the Wellington books' and Waiters' Union), Thomas Long (representing the Hotel and Restaurant Employees' Union of Auckland), T. Eelyer, and E. Mark. Mr. Beveridge said the employers could lot for a moment listen to any demand 'of an. advance in. wages or a reduction n hours. Mr. Carey: You think 65 hours a week is a fair thing for women workers? Jlr. Beveridge: I would not commit nyself to say that, so far as women ivorkers are concerned. I : Mr.;Carey: Are you then prepared to ijpee to a reduction ,of hours for women ivorkers? • . Mr. Beveridge: Not in hotels. Mr.-Long: We are only here to dis:uss the question so.far as it relates to lotels. . _ After further discussion Mr. Carey pro;eedcd to put the case for the workers. He asked how it was that sixpenny, restaurants were compelled by law to work their'girls a; maximum of 52 hours a iveek, whilo hotelkeepers/under the award :ould work their female employees _65 hours. If legislation was a fair thing for workers in restaurants, why was it not so in hotels? The restaurantkeepers had agreed to 52 hours a weelc for their workers; why should the hotelkeepers have the advantage? Mr. Beveridge: The conditions that obtain in hotels are quite different. Mr. Carey: Not at all. . Mr. Beveridge: That's just where we differ. ■ The women in hotels have a good ;nough time. The conditions of employment are wholly different.' Mr: MTParland: Has there . been any complaint from' women employed in hotels about overwork?' • " _ ■ • Mr. Carey: Wo have complaints day:m and day out. Mr. M'Parland: Well,-1 employ over forty, and I have asked them if they had any complaints and they say they ire completely satisfied. Mr. Carey: That's the old question m have heard in- the* Arbitration Court: 'Arc you satisfied with conditions?" "Yes,. lam satisfied." The workers' feel they might get the sack otherwise. Why, ive have had complaints from every trades' union in" the city that it is disgraceful to tolerato such conditions for women workers, that we should seek the intervention of the Legislature or the Arbitration Court to get a reduction in the hours for women workers. I am trying to get it, but we can get no satisfaction [roiu. the employers at all. , Mr. Beveridge said he had made a calculation of what the demands,-1 if jranted, would ,cost him. It would be i matter of more than -a year. Mr. Carey: The system of shorter hours is in actual operation on the other side. Mr. Beveridge: How long has-it been in operation? And is it workingjproperly? What about the case of the Hotel Australia ? They had to raise the tariff to 15s; a day in consequence of the increase in the wages. Do you think you could get 15s. a day out of the public here? Not on your life. If the employees are to be considered on one side, the employers are to be considered on the other,, and you must consider the general .'public-as well. It was suggested that if' a Fair Rent Bill could be passed to stop high rents and goodwills, the employers mignt be 1 in the position to listen to the demands. . . Mr. Carey: I know they have got .job against the brewers ; and thj people who own tho freeholds;:; Ifcjis.inol ai satisfactory thing at all, but are. Wo want to settle this.'case-now, and we have come here to settle r :it,'."and wo hope it will be settled. ' - ; The conference then proceeded, to dis-cuss-the clauses seriatim.. On ■ the sub ject of - holidays ..'.there ;,was a. general agreement, the demands really embodvinj the conditions generally prevailing at the down to the bedrock demands of th( employees, dealing with, hours, wages and general conditions,iwere.discussed ii turn. Finally, the narrowec down to the bedrock demands of th< employees. These the representatives o! the employers decided to place befori their association. The conference adjourned till 10.30 n.m to-morrow. , " ■