THE LATE NIGHT

Evening Post, Volume 55, Issue 55, 3 September 1923, Page 8

THE LATE NIGHT

CONTENTIONS OF SHOP ASSIST-

ANTS.

The late shopping night and the reply of the Master Drapers and Mercers' Association to a statement mad* on behalf of the Shop Assistants' Federation as to the hours of work and general<-condi-tions*-were discussed at a recent meeting of the executive of the" federation. It was the general feeling. of the meeting that the federation should continue' to work towards the elimination of the late night, 'and it was pointed out that in no part of the statement previously made by the federation was it asserted that' members were compelled to work more than 48 hours per week, which, as all who understood the position would realise, would not be allowable under the new Shops and Offices Act. The statement of the master drapers that some awards provided for a 48-hour week" the federation had never contradicted, but the large majority of awards now provided for 44----hour weeks. The Federation, however, was not so greatly concerned with the number of hours worked in. the .complete week as with the hours worked on the day of the late night. In no other industry were assistants asked to work such long periods. * "The argument that the federation had overlooked the fact that shops were there ifor the convenience of the public," stated Mr. A.- W. Cro'skery, secretary, ofi th« federation, to a "Post" reporter: to-day, "has always been used by: the shopkeepers as a means to fasten the long hours, upon the shop assistants. Prior to the Shops and Offices Act, when no weekly half day was allowed the assistants, and when the late night in many cases extended to'eleven' and half past, 1 the shop-' keeper used precisely the same argument We are of the opinion that all the shopping can be done in a reasonable shopping week of: 44 hours, and that this is so is evidenced,.in our opinion, by the fact that the late* night is done away with in Queensland and in West Australia, and that no one hears of complaints of. injustice to public in: regard to shopping in those States.- Just now the New South Wales Parliament is dealing with the late nijrht question, so that if New Zealand is to maintain its reputation of having, the best labour laws in the Southern Hemisphere, this is a reform which must be fully considered."