RETAIL SHOPS TO CLOSE

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 95, 16 January 1943, Page 7

RETAIL SHOPS TO CLOSE

Anniversary Day

All retail shops in Wellington will close on Anniversary Day, Friday, January 22, and will reopen on Saturday morning, with the exception of butchers’ shops, which will be closed till Monday morning. Arrangements have also been made with the New Zealand Shop Assistants’ Industrial Union for the late night during the week to be transferred from Friday to Thursday.

The secretary of the Wellington Employers’ Association, Mr. W. J. Mountjoy, said yesterday that in his opinion those responsible for the bringing,down of a regulation for the cancellation of the observance of Anniversary Day should have gained knowledge and experience frpm the blunder made Inst year, and not repeated it again during tbe current year. “It is a great pity that the persons responsible for recommending such regulations to tbe Government would not confer with the trade organizations affected, as it would have been a more satisfactory arrangement had the Government shifted Anniversary Day from Friday to Saturday, and declared a holiday on Saturday, January 23,” he said. “It would thus have affected very few people, and would have granted all workers, other than those required to be employed on war production, a holiday without any serious inconvenience or extra cost to the community. “No fault can be found with the bringing down of legislation to permit industries engaged in wnr production to work on Anniversary Day, hut when the position is viewed in the light of the circumstances existing, it is found that the majority ot die awards in force in New Zealand provide for the observance of Anniversary Day, and those that do not require a holiday to be given to workers on Anniversary Day include many of the industries engaged on work directly connected with defence or war requirements. “The effect of the legislation as it stands is that in all industries not directly connected with the war employers are expected to keep their premises open and employ their workers, and under. the Overtime and Holidays Labour Legislation Suspension Order, wherever it applies. employers are permitted to either grant the workers another holiday within a period of six months or pay one extra dav’s wages to the workers concerned. At a largely-attended meeting of the Wellington Master Butchers’ Industrial Union of Employers it was unanimously resolved that butchers’ shops throughout Wellington citv and suburbs and the Hutt Valley and Johnsonville, will be closed on Anniversary Day. It was also decided that butchers’ shops will close on the Saturday following Anniversary Day. thus, the retail butchers’ premises will be closed from Thursday evening till Monday mornAs far as other retailers are concerned, the Wellington Drapers’, Clothiers’, Mercers’. Boot Retailers’ Association has decided lo close all day on Anniversary Day. The Wellington Grocers’ Association and the Wellington Chain Grocery Stores Association have also decided that their their shops shall be closed all day on Friday.