SIX O'CLOCK CLOSING

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 65, 10 December 1917, Page 4

SIX O'CLOCK CLOSING

BAH ATTENDANTS' HALFHOLIDAY.

Consequent upon the introduction of , six o'clock closing the hotelkeopers in Wellington and in other parts of New Zealand have raised a question about the granting of the weekly half-holiday to male and female attendants in vho bars of their hotels. It happens that in Auckland a now award in the industry is being sought, and the prties have disagreed on this half-hohday question. This means that it is re-' ferred to the Arbitration Court for .settlement. The Wellington hotcJkeepere made a request to the union* that the employees should withhold decision on the question until the Auckland case had been determined by the' Court. This request was considered at a meeting of the bar attendants held in the Trades Hall yesterdav. The meeting was not open to the Press, but it is understood that the employees refused to accedo to the request made by the employers. The C4iso as stated by the employers, is that before the introduction of early closing the hours agreed upon for the employment of bar attendants were 58 per week for males nnd-50 hours per week for females. Since the earlier closing hours have come into operation it is not possible to work these employees more than 44 hours per week. It is suggested on behalf of tho omployers that the workers should give up the half-holiday and so agree to work a week of 48 hours. The question is not one to bo settled by agreement in this way, because the half-holiday is enioined by the Shops and Offices Act 'The idea of the hotelkeeners was that if tho employees agreed to_ it there would ho no difficulty in making an arrangement by which, prosecutions under this section of the Act as affectiner hotel-bar employees would not have been insisted upon in the event of the half-holiday being discontinued by consent of the parties. ' ■ It is stated that the hotelkeepers have not yet put off many of their bar attendants, but that the reduction of trade-lias been so heavy that many of them will have to let some of their men and women go at once.