SHOP ASSISTANTS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 139, 16 June 1927, Page 15

SHOP ASSISTANTS

NEW AWARD SOUGHT

opposed by Employers

Conciliation C"uncil proceedings between tho New. Zealand.Federation of Shop Assistants and their employers resulted in a; number of clauses in the proposed new award being agreed to. The matters on which no agreement was reached were ventilated in the Arbitration Court yesterday. On the Bench wero Mr. Justice i>azer and Messrs. W. Scott and A. L. Monteith. For tho employers Mr. B. L. Hammond appeared, Ms. .A. W. Croskery representing the employees.

The award.'which-is sought is a Dominion award covering the districts oi' Auckland, Wellington, Westland, Otago, and Southland. It was stated that Nelson was willing to come in under the award. The matters left for the Court to decided were: Interpretation of the award, classification of workers, wages, salvage stores, performance of higher duties, travelling time, preference, closing of shops, and scope and term of the award. Additional classification was asked.for with respect.to branch managers and' manageresses, floor superintendents, parcel boys, lift attendants, and clerks 'and cashiers. The' union asked for a minimum wagoof £8 10s for floor superintendents and £6 10s for travellers. Window dressers, it was claimed, should receive £6:10s a week instead of £5 2s Gd a week, the work requiring a number of years of special training before competency could be reached.

In placing the employers' side of the shop assistants' dispute before the Arbitration Court yesterday Mr. B. L. Hammond said that the award which had just expired had not given satisfaction to the employers. He did not know of,any industry in which there was such a conspicuous absence of good-will between the parties as there was in the retail trade. The employers were opposed to.any increase in. wages, us the trade could not stand it, and the employers asked that wages should be based upon age combined with experience. ' :

Evidence was given to the effect that trade, especially in the country, was more depressed than it had been for many years. There were hard times ahead and many smaller shops would find it difficult to show a profit this year. Generally speaking, returns were down this year. • .

The Court reserved its decision,