HAIRDRESSING TRADE

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 299, 14 September 1937, Page 2

HAIRDRESSING TRADE

Conciliation Council Hears Dispute

]NO AGREEMENT ON WAGES

An increase iu the price of haircuts was suggested in Conciliation Council yesterday as °ne means by wuich hairdressers’ demands for higher wages might be met. The employers’ advocate, however, considered that the ouly solution of the difficulties con fronting what he described as "the Cinderella industry” lay in compulsory registration aud licensing of hairdressers. Until this was introduced, he said, employers would be economically unable to go as far as they would like iu conceding wage increases. The dispute, concerning the whole ot the Wellington industrial, district, was heard before the conciliation commissioner, Mr. M. J. Reardon. Advocate for the workers was Mr. T. C. Tierney, and for the employers Mr. A. L. Kuowsley. , Agreement on hours and other matters was reached on September 8. Consideration of wage clauses was deferred until yesterday to enable both parties to find the effect of the Arbitration Court’s pronouncement on the standard wage. The workers sought the following minimum wages: Journeymen or journeywomen, £6 a week; managers, £7/10/- a week; casual workers, 3/- an hour; first-year improvers, £4 a week; second-year improvers, £4/10/a week.

The employers made the following offer: Journeymen or journeywomen within a 12-mile radius of the Wellington General Post Office, £5 a weeK; m country districts, £4/10/- a week; managers, £6 a week; casual workers, 2/6 an hour; first-year improvers, £3 a week; second-year improvers. £3/10/a week. Referred to Court. After discussion, in which both sides offered ’ concessions without prejudice, it was found impossible to reach agreement, aud the question is to be referred to the Arbitration Court. Mr. Tierney said that a hairdresser was required to serve three years as an apprentice and two years as an improver, which meant that it was live years before he was fully qualified. The demand to-day was for young and active workers; when a man reached the age of 45 or 50 he was no longer wanted. The Government statistician had estimated the cost of living for a man, his wife and three children in Wellington at £5/2/9J a week, and this was a mere subsistence wage. Both employers and workers wished to improve the status of the trade and the only way of doing this was to raise the standard of living of those concerned. If a considerable increase in the present wage were not given, the speaker believed that there would soon be an acute shortage of hairdressers, because more congenial occupations were offering higher remuneration. “Cinderella Industry.” Mr. Knowsloy said that the employers were prepared to pay the highest possible wage consistent with the economic position of the trade. At present. however, hairdressing was the “Cinderella industry”; because of lack of organisation neither employer nor employee was getting out of it what he should. The multitude of one-man shops, not employing labour, made the payment of high wages by other shops uneconomic. There was an urgent need for the Government to hasten in bringing into operation its avowed policy under the Industrial Efficiency Act to protect the wage standard of the industry. If the registration and licensing of hairdressers were made compulsory —and this was expected within twelve months —the employers would be willing to go much further in increasing wages. He urged that, until this came about, the workers should be content not to press for a greater increase than the trade was able to bear. Mr. Knowsley also contended that hours of productive work in the hairdressing trade were not more than 34 a week. Mr. Tierney contended that, if the Industry was unable to pay the wages, it should follow the example of every other industry and increase prices to enable it to do so. Price of Haircuts. “The {xisition is, can we get more than 1/6 for a haircut?” said Mr. Knowsley. "You reach a point in prices where you come to diminishing returns. I don’t think the solution lies in,passing on increased charges to the public. There is a solution in putting our bouse in order, but we can’t do it without the co-operation of the hairdressers and the Government. A fixed wage standard must be supported by a fixed price standard.” The employees’ assessors offered to co-operatqjn urging the desirability of compulsory registration and licensing. It was agreed that no employer should lease by contract any chairs in bis saloon for the purpose of carrying on the business of hairdressing. The saloon might, however, be leased as a whole, the lease to be registered. The definition of a journeyman was amended to read: “One who has served an apprenticeship and fwo years as an improver.” The term of apprenticeship was left to the apprenticeship committee, in order to allow for adult apprentices not serving the usual three years.