WORKERS' DEMANDS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1202, 10 August 1911, Page 8

WORKERS' DEMANDS.

BAKERS AND PASTRYCOOKS. NEW AWARDS WANTED. Mr. P. Ilnlly, Conciliation Commissionor, presided yostonlay. over a conference of the parties to the dispute between the employers and the workers in the matter of certain demand? ivhirh had been formulated by tho Wellington Bakers' Operative.;' Union of Workers with regard to a new award. The union's assessors wore—Messrs. A. Collins, E.. Broughton. T. Jf. Goodcliild, with Mr. W. H. Cooper as agent. The master bakers were represented by Messrs. W. A. follow. G. K. Mathieson, and A. Raven, with 'Mr. 11. V. Allen as apnt. AJr. W. A. W. Grenfell appeared as agent for the pastrycooks (employers), for whom Messrs. Thomas Howell, J. W. Thompson, and F. E. Godber appeared as assessors. Anions other things, the demands of the union included an increase in wages' and reduction in the hours of labour. The present, scale of wages in the Wellington district, ranged from £2 .Is. to JC3 per week, and tho union sought to increase the scale to ,C 3 ss—.£3 IDs., for a week of 4-2J hours, 5* hours !o be worked on the weekly half-holiday, time commencing at 1 a.m. It was also to obtain for jobbers a rate of 12s. per day. no jobber to be employed for less than 4 hours, at Is. Gd. per hour.

Pastrycooks' Demands, The pastrycooks preferred similar claims. It was asked that no more than three apprentices should be allowed h one shop, and in the proportion of ons apprentice to one journeyman; female workers wen not to be allowed to manufacture goods for sale: each worker was to be allowed six days' holiday per year, on full pay, with the addition of Christmas Day, Good Friday, and the annual picnic day.

Against the latter series of demands, tho pastrycook employers asked for a renewal of the existing award, with the following additions and amendments:— General workers over twenty-one to be paid at a rate of not less than 30s. p?r week, and under that age 20s. per week, "general work" to mean and inclwl* bringing in raw material, cleansing pans, tins, tools, or other utensils, wasting of machines, buttering tins, bringing fuel to oven, cleaning bakehouse, turning hand machines, lcblling (ins and boxes', wrapping rakes and (lour, packing weddinr cakes or other cakes, emptying tins and trays, .cracking eggs (not including tho separating), cleaning fruit and cutting peel; that all lime lost bv workers through their default or illness niav be deducted from their wages. It wss'abm (I'ked that Clause 7 be altered to read: "Not more than six apprentices to Wa'- „?," 'I 1 ono siion," and that it be added: All fimo-lost by apprentices through their illness or default may be deducted from their wages." Sittings of the Conciliation Council in the bakers dispute have already been held at Palmersfon North, and Napier. In opening tho proceedings, the Commis. sioner suggested that tho disnute might be divided into two suctions, one referrin" to the bakers and the other to (he pastry" cooks. This was agreed to.

Exemption of Tea Rooms. In connection with the pastrycook section, applications were made bv'two largo establishments-tho D.I.C. and Kirkcalriie and Stains, Ltd.-for exemption from the provisions. In support of the D.I.C. case, Mr. A. A. Corrigau pointed out that altogether different conditions existed in the tea rooms conducted under tho auspices of his establishment from those to which the provisions of the Pastrycooks' Award applied. Nothing was made on the premises for sale—tho goads were used solely tor morning and aiternoon tea, the management restricting its enterprise lo what was known as homo cooking. Tho luncheon catering business was not encouraged. In this respect the D.I.C. tea. room was different irom any other tea. room in Wellington. The employees worked under tho Cooks' and Waiters' Award, the hours under which, ho believed, were shorter than those asked for bv tho bakers.

Mr. Gcdber and others objected to tho application.

Mr. Corrigan, replying to question?, argued that the D.I.C. tea room did not compete with other restaurants and tea rooms. As for the profit?, Jlr. Godher could have them if he cared to call at the end of the half-year—he would give him a blank cheque. The speaker went on to say, with reference to competition in (lie manufacture of pastry, that the D.I.C. used to purchase from Godber's till that firm dcclii/d to supply them.

Mr. Godbor: "We refused to allow the 1).1.C. to pick the eye? out of nur slnff, while the. goods on which any profits were made were manufactured in their kitchen?." ~.

Messrs. Kirkcaldie and Stains' representative also submitted that, his firm's tea room was not m competition with other tea rooms.

"Yon supply meat luncheons?" suggested an assessor.

The suggestion was denied, as also was the allegation that table goods were sold for patrons to take awav.

It "was intimated that ilio council would consider the applications foy exemptions in flue course. Minor Points Settled. In committee on the bakers' demands, most of the minor points- in dispute were disposed of, there being reserved for the Arbitration Court the settlement of the mnin questions—wages, starting time, hours, and preference of employment. The demands of the pastrycooks will be discussed before the Commissioner this morning.