COUNTRY GROCERS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 274, 13 August 1920, Page 7

COUNTRY GROCERS

. NEW AWARD ASKED FOE. A dispute lias been filed between the Wellington Retail Grocers' Assistants' Union' and the employers in the country districts, and the matter will bo hoard by ft Council of Conciliation shortly. The towns affected in .the dispute are Alfredton, Carterton, D'aunevirke, Eketakuua Feathcrston, Foilding, Foxton, Greytown, liastings, Havelock North, Huiiterville, Levin. Marton, Martinborough'," Itiistcrton, Napier, Ohakune, Otaki, Pahiatua, PalmerBton North, Shannon, Takapau, Waipawa, waipukurau, Wanganui, and Woodvillc. Tho applicants ask that the hours or work shall bo fired at 44 rcr week, and that overtimo shall be paid for at tho rate of time and a half for the first two hours, and double time thereafter lho schedule of weekly wanes claimed is as follows r-Mrst year, £1 10s.; second year, £2; third year, £2 ;2s. Cd.; fourth year, £3 7b. 6d.j fifth' year, £4 2s. Cd.; thereafter, £5. In the ixisting award it is provided that apprentices must tcryc for a term of seven ycars-from 15 years of age to 22-but it ia now claimed that tho term of apprenticeship shall be five years, the' workers to be paid according, to ago and) experience. The wage to commence is at iprosent 17s. per week, and workers of 22 years of age and over receive £3 ;6s. 6d. per week, which amount includes bonuses. Tho union in its fresh demands requests that no deduction shall be mado from tho weekly wages for public holidays, that no youth under tho ago of 18 shall be employed in driving, and that tho proportion of boys or youths' Bhall be ono to every three men or fraction thereof. The holidays asked for are: New Year's Day, the day following, Anniversary Day, Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Monday,.' Labour Day,. Sovereign's Birthday, Ohristmas Day, Boxing Day, Anzao Day, and Peace/ Day. If any day shall be generally observed as a holiday in lieu of any pf tho above-mentioned holidays, tuch day shall bo substituted for the specified holiday. On _ completion of each year of service it is asked that each worker shall bo granted twelve dayß' holidays on full pay, and that a worker not completing a year of service shall be granted, pay in lieu ef holiday in the samo proportion according to the leimth of Bervice. The union also desires that no worker shall bo employed after 12.50 o'clock p.m. on Saturday, the day of the half-holiday, irrespective of the, provisions of section 19 and its subclauses of tho Shops and Offices Act.

The demands include tho usual underrate workers' and preference clauses, and it iB urged that for tho purpose of tho award, every person shall bo deemed' to ho a .grocer's assistant who is engaged in any capacity in connection with the tale of goods, display of goods, mnkiugmp ot orders, stocks, packing, dispatching, storemen, canvassers, and driver?, or In any capacity in connection with tho utnll grocery trade. Tho award BhaJl not apply to clerks, caßh hoys, or other persons engaged in tho office work of the employer, and not engaged in tho work cf tho shop, or to females employed solely in confectionery departments. ■

The award, it ia urged, shall remain in force for ouo year as from August 1, 1920, and Bhall anply to the whole of the Wellington industrial district, excepting tho area lying within a radius of 30 miles from the Ohlcf Post Office, Wellington, Assessors for the union at the hearing; of the dispute will be Messrs. E, M'Kcen and K. MortenEen.