CHEMISTS’ DISPUTE

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 175, 21 April 1937, Page 16

CHEMISTS’ DISPUTE

Hearing to Continue In a dispute heard yesterday in Conciliation Council between the New Zealand Federated Shop Assistants Industrial Association of Workers (applicants) and the Chemists’ Service Guild of Neiv Zealand and other employers, agreement was not reached on the major questions, and the council will meet again to-day. Employers’ assessors were Messrs. It. Cotterall, C. J. Henty, C. P. McKenzie, J. Waters, C. W. Pierson, D. S. Henderson and A. Hobson, with Mr. W. J. Mountjoy as advocate; while those for the wooers were Misses L- Purcell and W. Bender, Messrs. H. Hutchison, F. Mofflt, j'. S. Barnett, N. Peacock, and A. W. Croskery, agent. Mr. M. J. Reardon, conciliation commissioner, presided. The employers offered a 44-hour week, in accordance with the provisions of the Shops and Offices Act, while the workers demanded a week of 40 hours. The workers claimed for managers or workers in charge, £8 a week; for qualified assistants, £7; and for unqualified assistants, £5/10/-; while the employers offered £5 for Registered assistants, £4/5/- for unregistered assistants; £3 for first year iinprovers, and £3/10/- for second year improvers. Mr. Mountjoy stated during the meeting that the employers desired to divide the unregistered assistants into two classes—qualified and unqualified. It was pointed out by the employers that a worker might be a good student, but not efficient in the shop, so that by not registering he could work as a qualified assistant at a lower wage until he was efficient in all departments, when he could register and claim the wage of a registered assistant. This was agreed to. Wages claimed for apprentices ranged from £1 a week to £3/12/6 during the second six months of the fourth year, as against 15/- to £2 in the fourth year offered by the employers. Overtime was asked for at the rate of time and a half for ordinary overtime, and double time for the work done on Saturday night, employers offering time and a half. The applicants claimed a fortnight’s holiday on full pay and eleven public holidays, and were offered a week and ten public holidays. The hearing is expected to occupy three days.