PRIVATE HOTELS

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 38, 14 August 1917, Page 8

PRIVATE HOTELS

EMPLOYEES SEEK NEW AWARD.

The Conciliation Council met again today to resume consideration of the Private H!otel, Restaurant, and Tea Room employees' dispute. Mr. W. H. Hagger, Conciliation Commissioner, presided. Mr. W. A. Grrenfell appeared as agent for the employers, and Mr. E. Kennedy for the union.

Mr. Grenfell stated that the employers had held a meeting, and decided to offer, without prejudice to Arbitration Court proceedings, a war bonus, of 10 per cent, all round if the clause in tie claims relating to the place of engagement were excluded.

Mr. Kennedy: We're not taking a bonus. ■

Mr. Grenfell said the employers were faced with the position that somebody was moving for legislation to obtain an improvement in .conditions apart from the Court. * ■

Mr. Kennedy: Yes, we are. Mr. Grenfell said the Bill which was being placed before Parliament proposed that the hours be reduced to 52 per week, and that no females should be employed after 10 p.m. except on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

Mr. Kennedy said this latter clause applied only to tea^rooms. Mr. Grenfell said the employers felt that, not knowing what the future might bring forth, they would not be justified in making an increase permanent, since this would operate to decrease employment if times became bad. Therefore) they offered 10 per cent, bonus, not excluding men who were at present highly paid. Mr. Kennedy replied that there had. been the same talk about the future for three years, and always it was suggested that the worker should suffer. The union did not approve of the bonus system, but would be willing to discuss the wages for all classes of workera. ' : (Proceeding.)