GROCERS’ DISPUTE

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 140, 10 March 1938, Page 7

GROCERS’ DISPUTE

Main Issues Referred To Court

HOURS THE STUMBLINGBLOCK

When the Conciliation Council yesterday morning resumed its hearing of the application by workers in the groceries business for a Dominion award, Mr. F. D. Cornwell, advocate for the workers, raised the question of the 40-hour fiveday week, which in turn brought up the related question of wages. The employees’ proposals on the 40-hour fiveday week were not acceptable to the employers, any more than the employers’ proposal of a 44-hour live and a half-day week were acceptable to the workers, and neither side would accept the offer of the other with regard to wages. Xt was then agreed that the questions of wages and hours be referred to the Court of Arbitration for decision. Mr. Cornwell set the ball rolling by asking what wages proposals the employers had to offer for a 44-hour or a 40-hour week. “We have no proposals to make on tne question of hours,” ’said Mr. T. O. Bishop, advocate for the employers. We are insisting on 44 hours on five and a half days. There is no question ot amendment. .We are standing firm on that. The wages would be according to the Arbitration Court’s recent pronouncement. We have a pretty strong indication as to the court’s attitude in regard to wages?. We will make an offer o £5/5/- for a -journeyman contingent on the 44-hour five and a half day week. The conciliation commissioner (Mr. At. Reardon): That is a definite offer, Mr. Cornwell. Mr. Cornwell: I am sorry, but we cannot accept it. Mr Bishop asked on what conditions the workers would be prepared to accept £5 a s a senior rate. Mr Cornwell: We cant accept £u as the full rate for journeymen; or to to/- for branch managers. I Mr. Bishop: It is useless for us to discuss the question of hours. U Mr. Reardon asked Mr. Cornwell whether he was prepared to make a counter ° ff Mr. Cornwell suggested £5/5/- for jourueymen for a 40-hour week. »>- “A 40-hour week settles it definitely, t said Mr. Bishop. “We can’t make the concession on 44 hours. We must take the present award unless we are agreed to h Tt S ’this stage Mr. J. Robinson (Dunedin), a workers’ assessor, entered the room and Mr. Cornwell explained the situation to him. Comparison With Tradesmen. “I quite agree,” said Mr. Robinson. "It is not a tradesman’s wages.” ' “1 suggest you ought to make »>me counter-proposal,” said Mr. Reardon to Mr. Cornwell. “Let us suggest io/o/and see if we can’t work from there. 1 certainly realise the employers are not going to sacrifice the rights they have won From the court for the 44 hours over six d l Mr. Cornwell: We must agree that the hours must be referred to the court. "If the question of hours is to go to 1 the court we are making no wages offei at all,” said Mr. Bishop. "We are in the same position as we were in last week with the shop assistants. There is no reason why we should not come to agreement on many of the other clauses. Neither of us can deal with the question of hours. It is too big. It affects too many people. The nature of the trade requires 44 hours.” Mr. Robinson: Would Mr. Bishop agree that a journeyman is entitled to ordinary tradesmen’s wages?\ Mr. Bishop: By an ordinary tradesman do you mean such as carpenters and blacksmiths?-, - Mr.. Robinson: Yes. Mr. Bishop said he considered the comparisons were not parallel; the situations were quite different. For one thing there was not the same permanency about the blacksmiths’ and the carpenters’ work as with the groeeryman. ”1 don’t think we would discuss grocers’ wages from a new basis,” be continued. “But we would discuss them from what they have always been in the grocery trade. We are not ci:.it,l on to discuss them on the basis of w. .it is paid to blacksmiths and carpenII hr. Cornwell: The offer of Mr. Bishop ’ is 5/- on the present rate provided the hours are at the present 44. Mr. Robinson: We can get more than that from the court. Mr. Bishop: All right. Let Us agree to go to the court on that and now tackle the question of agreement on other clauses. In reply to a statement by Mr. Reardon that he thought there could be some agreement on the question of hours, Mr. Cornwell made it plain that he could no more give way on the 40-hour week than apparently Mr. Bishop could give way on the 44 hours. Mr. Reardon: The position is that wages and hours go to the court? t Mr. Cornwell: Yes. There was agreement on a number of the minor clauses. Those outstanding, besides wages and hours, will also be referred to the Court of Arbitration.