CLOTHING TRADE

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 116, 19 May 1931, Page 10

CLOTHING TRADE

CASE FOR WOMEN

WORKERS

The case for women employed in the clothing trade was at; the wage inquiry in the Arbitration Court to-day by' Miss .A. Cossey, who said that the women had always been the lowest paid workers in the Dominion, and had already suffered a,reduction by having to work short time at the minimum, rate.'. . ....-.' The privilege of working for a bonus had een stopped in most factories, Miss Cossey continued, and the prices for manufacturing garments lowered so that the women had to work much harder than in the past to make even the minimum wage. She claimed that it was impossible.-. for a self-supporting woman to live on any amount less than she received at present.'- If the workers had their wages further reduced- it meant that they would be' forced to purchase "shoddy" boots.and clothing, which wero being dumped into the Dominion from, foreign, countries. Miss Cossey appealed to the.Court to give the case of the women'workers the fullest consideration^ maintaining that it was every woman's right to'get sufficient remuneration for her work to enable her to become''a good, honest,and respectable citizen. She also raised the female apprentices who, she.' understood, 'were not included .in the special provision contained in the Finance Aet'relating to apprenticeship orders.. In a former general order the Court had specifically excluded apprenticeships entered into under • awards and' industrial! agreements. At present . apprentices w,ere getting most of the work when, there was slackness in tho-trade, and journeywoujen were ■sufferingas a. result. '~ ■, .''/;■ ' ' ■ His Honour said,he thought it was desirable to Ideal . with the clothing trade by way: of special application. The parties could arrange a venue for the .hearing;': ..' ~.. ■ . ,