NO AGREEMENT YET

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 256, 25 July 1936, Page 11

NO AGREEMENT YET

Claims of Bakers and Pastrycooks CONCILIATION SITTING At a sitting yesterday lasting all day and well into the night, the Conciliation Council, with Mr. «. Ritchie, Commissioner, presiding, discussed claims made by the New Zealand Federated Bakeis and Pastrycooks and Related Trades Employees’ Industrial Association of Workers. Respondents were the New Zealand Master Bakers and Pastrycooks. Following were the assessors: —Employees; Messrs E. J. Watson, F. H. Bourke, 11. R. Green, T. O. Newnhain, F. W. Brewer, F. Mawhinney, J. McVeen. Employers: Messrs. T. O. Bishop (agent), L. I’. Ford, G. K. Mathieson, F. H. Hawker, A. J. Clegg, D. Dustin, d’A S. Grut, J. 0. Boniface. The principal claims of the employees, with the employers’ proposals in parentheses, were: —Hours, 40 per week (44): wages, foreman baker or pastrycook, £0 (5/10/-) ; journeyman baker or pastrycook, £5/10/- (£5) ; doughman, £6; ovensman, £6; bakehouse labourers, £5 (£4 0/6); packers, £5; female workers, same wages as males for doing same class of work (females employed as journeywoman, three-quarters of the rate of journeyman; provision for employing fcmales as apprentices) ; overtime, double time (time and a half). The employees asked that the hour of starting work for bakehouse workers, cxcept doughmakers, be not earlier than 6 a.m., the finishing time to be not later than 6 p.m. The employers desire that the hours of starting work for bakehouse workers shall be as required by the employer, but shall not be earlier than 4 a.m., with earlier times for -Saturdays and mornings preceding holidays. The employers claimed a 44-hour week, and proposed the following wages:—Foreman baker in charge of twelve permanent men or over, £6/10/-; foreman baker in charge of less than~ 12 men. £5/15/-; journeyman baker, £5/5/-; baker’s assistant (adult), £4/10/-; baker’s labourer. £4/0/6; junior assistants, 16 to 17. £1 2/-, 17 to IS £l/10/-, 18 to 19 £2/2/6, 19 to 20 £2/10/-, 20 to 21 £3; junior labourer, as per the Factories Act; overtime, time and a half for first three hours, and double time thereafter. It was pointed out that the Court of Arbitration had granted a 44-hour week. The whole of yesterday’s sitting was occupied in a consideration of wages and hours of work, the discussion mainly centring around the question of daylight baking, and the starting hours. No decision had been reached when the council adjourned late last night until this morning.