GROCERS' DISPUTE

Evening Post, Volume XCIX, Issue 120, 21 May 1920, Page 8

GROCERS' DISPUTE

DEMAND FOR 1 HIGHERiWAGES.

' The hearing of the grocers' assistants | dispute was resumed before the Concilia- ; tiou Council this morning, the Commis-: i doner .(Mr. W. Newton) presiding. The i assessors for the union were'MessTS. J. j ■H. Mortenseny R. M'K.ean,-and-C.-S) mß , ] and 'for the employers; Messrs! 'If.'3). Bennett, H. Wardell, andE.R<»ad. Mr. W. A. W. Grenfell"appeared as agent for the employers. .-»" '<- -„ ■ •'- • >■•■ ' ';' The 'union asks for "a"44-hour week,' as follows:—Prom 8.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. on five days of the-w.eek, and 8j30» a.m. • to 12.30 "p.n% on". Saturday, any'timeT worked in.excess 'of these houjs to,te : deemed overtime and paid for at'the.rate' of time andi'a-half '■ ifor the first-two hours and double time thereafter. The following rates of pay are sought:—First year of service, £1 10s ; second year, £2; third year, £2 12s 6d ; fourth year,: £3". 7s 6d; fifth year. £4 2s 6d ; after five years', service, ■ £5. ■„: , The employment, it. is urged, shall be' on.'a. weekly basis, and no deduction shall be madu from tho week's wages for public holidays. ' No I youth under the'age of 18 shall be em- j ployed in driving, and the proportion of ! boys or youths shall be one to every three ] men or fraction thereof. The following holidays' are applied'-for.-'^New Year's Day and< the .'following day,' Anniversary ! Pay, Good Friday,— Easter Saturday, I Easter Monday, King's Birthday, Labour ' Day, Anzac Day, Peace Day, Christmas j Day, and Boxing Day. A period of appren- '■■ ticeship of five years is asked in order to i bring the grocery, trade into line with j the conditions thati obtain in : the various j other shop 1 trades. ' ' An laiinual holiday I of twelve days on .'full pay in asked for. ' The union does.not desire the,award to ' apply to; clerks, casliboys, o'r''bther per- i sons engaged in the office work of the ; employer, or to females employed solely i in confectionery departments, but .t i stipulates that every person shall ho! deemed to be a grocer's_ assistant who is | engaged *in any : capacity in conned on j with the sale and display of goods, ii.'ak-j ing-up of orders, stocks, packing, no-] spatching, storemen, canvassers, and I drivers. -v v ' ' ..I ■■ I

; The existing scale of wages for. shop assistants is £3 16s 6d per week, including war bonus, ,->nd the working hours are set down at 52 per week; The present award provides for the following holidays :— New year's, Day and. the following day, Anniversary Day, Good.Fri r day, Easter Saturday, "Easter Monday, the Sovereign's Birthday, Labour May,' Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. ( The council proceeded to discuss the various demands clause by clause in committee.