THE GEOCERY TRADE CASE. RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE BOARD.

Evening Post, Volume LXII, Issue 129, 27 November 1901, Page 6

THE GEOCERY TRADE CASE. RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE BOARD.

The Board delivered 1 its recommenda1 tions in this award at 12.15 to-day. It • recommends that the week's work shrfll consist of 52 hours — on f6ur days of the week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with one hour for meWs; on Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., with two hours off for meals. Clauses 2 to 14 (inclusive) of the union's original demands are struck out, ari*d three clauses are substituted proposing that the minimum weekly w^je shall be — shops where there are more than three employees, £3 10s for first counter hand, £3 for second counter harid, and £2 5s for third-class hands and those below them. Where less than* three men_ are emplpyed l -j£2 10s for •finsfc and fiS 5s for swon'd hand. Where 'an employer is regularly employed in the shop at the ordinary work he shall be 1 c'*assed as first shopman. Men not $illy competent shall " exjst under this plause in the proportion of one to two journeymen." The indenturing of apprentices shall not be compulsory, but if indentured a> boy must not be less than 16 years of age. The term of apprenticeship shall be four or five years. For indentured apprentices the wages shall be : for each of the five years 7s 6d, 12s 6d, fl7s 6d, £1 ss, and £1 10s per week; 1 and for apprentices not indentured, 12s < 6d, 17s 6d, £1 7s 6d, £1 10s, and £1 '17s 6d per week: The proportion, of youths or apprentices employed shall be one to three or fraction of the first three journeymen — the employer regularly j working to count as one man. The recommendations for carters will' be the same as the award of the Arbitration Court in the bakers' 'case ; except where the employer and only one youtfy are in the business. In such case the youth , shall be allowed to do carting work. On the day immediately preceding a holiday the hours shall be the same as on Saturdays. Statutory holidays and the day of the grocers' picnic shall be allowea, and if not worked on shall be paid for at ordinary rates. Overtime on ordinary days shall be paid for at the rate of time and a quarter for the first two , hours and time and a half afterwards; on holidays double time. Preference of employment, except in the case of Chinese, shall be allowed. All hands may ■ be employed to do any work specified in r the recommendations, provided they are classified and paid wages according to i such classification. The usual "incompetent" and other stereotyped clauses are embodied. The recommendations, subject to the giving of the bakers' award, will be filed on the 29th inst., and are to have effect from 3rd December, 1901, to 29th December, 1903.

A cablegram received by the Government from Capetown states that Sergeant Potter, formerly of the Fifth ConTSigent, and now of the Seventh, who was reported the other day tc be dangerously ill, is now improving. To-day's Canterbury Time 3 contains nine pages of special pictures (many of whioli were photographed under great difficulties) showing the destruction wrought by the South Island earthquakes.