THEATRE WORKERS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 303, 20 September 1939, Page 7

THEATRE WORKERS

Employers Seek New Award CONCILIATION HEARING Hearing o£ the application o£ the New Zealand Theatre Proprietors’ Industrial Association of Employers for a new award, covering the Wellington, Taranaki, Marlborough, Canterbury and Southland industrial districts, was continued in conciliation council, Wellington, yesterday. . . Mr. M. J. Reardon, conciliation commissioner, presided. The employers were represented by Messrs. W. burton and R. A. Usmar (Wellington), C. H. Haigh (Rangiora), M. Sayegh (Auckland) and D. I. Macdonald (Christchurch), agent. The assessors for the union were Mrs. R. M. Rowlands (Blenheim), Messrs. G. Fleming (New Plymouth), A. Tongue (Christchurch), W. Whitty (Invercargill), J. Fleming (Wellington) and T. P. Walsh (Wellington), agent. Mr. Macdonald said that the employers were anxious to have an award covering the industry throughout the Dominion, but this could not be done, as Otago, Westland and Nelson already bad separate awards, and Auckland had recently had a conciliation council sitting It was intended to ask the Arbitration Court to withhold making an award for the northern district till the present dispute had come before the Court. , , , .Mr. Walsh said that the workers had been in agreement with the employers when the present dispute opened that a Dominion award should be sought, but be alleged that the employers had gone behind the back of the workers and had obtained awards for Otago, Westland and Nelson, and a conciliation council sitting had also been held in Auckland. , Mr. Sayegh said that the employers bad not desired to proceed with the dispute iu Auckland, but the conciliatiou commissioner there had told them that they must proceed with the hearing. In any case, hardly any of the clauses had been agreed to. There was a sharp diversity of opinion on the question of wages. Mr. J. Fleming said that film hire taxation over the past three years had shown an increase of 44 per cent., and this surely meant that the theatre takings must have increased. Mr. Sayegh said that film tax had increased during that period. Mr. Usmar said that there was a reduction at present in theatre takings. Mr. J. Fleming: I attended six theatres in Wellington on Saturday night, and I couldn’t get into one. Mr. Macdonald: You chose the one night of the week when there is a good attendance. What about the other five nights of the week when overhead expenses are running on.

Clauses Agreed To. It was agreed that in the cases of youths, females, adult male workers, caretakers, and cleaners any time worked in excess of the hours stipulated shall be deemed to be overtime, and shall be paid for at the rate of time and a half for the first three hours, and double time thereafter, each day to stand by itself. It was also agreed that should the theatre be used for any purpose on a Sunday the caretaker may be employed at work within his ordinary duties, and shall be paid for attendance and work thereat and in addition to his. weekly wage as follows: One meeting, 12/6; two meetings 17/6; three or more meetings, or continuous for five hours or more, £l/7/6. Time paid for under this clause shall not be included for the purpose of computing payment under any other provision of this award.

Another clause also agreed to provided that deductions may be made from the wages of workers for time lost through sickness, accident, or default, or by reason of the theatre beiug closed through circumstances over which the employer has no control. The hearing will be resumed at 10.30 o’clock this morning.