PRICE OF BREAD

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 21, 24 July 1936, Page 10

PRICE OF BREAD

POSSIBLE INCREASE BAKERS' DISPUTE A possible increase in the price of bread was indicated at the Conciliation Council proceedings today between the New' Zealand Federated Bakers and Pastrycooks and Related Trades Employees' . Industrial Association of Workers arid the New Zealand Master Bakers and. Pastrycooks. Mr. E. J. Watson, for. the employees, said that the employers were offering reduced wages,-yet they were looking to the Government to increase the price of bread. . . The dispute is .being heard before the Concilation Commissioner (Mr. S. Ritchie), and little progress had been made at the luncheon adjournment. The following are the assessors:— Employees: Messrs. E. J. Watson, F. H. Bourke,?:H:'R.: Green, T. Q. Newnham, F. W. Brewer,?F. Mawhinney, J. McVeen." Employers: Messrs: T. O. Bishop (agent),-L. P. Ford, G. K. Mathieson, F..H. Hawker, A. J. Clegg, D.Dustin, d'A. S. Grut; J.O. Boniface. An application on behalf of Christchurch employers for pastrycooks to be excluded from the proceedings was refused. ■ ' , - , -■ The following are the main claims ■of the employees, those of the respondents being given in parentheses:— Hours, 40 per.'week (44); wages, foreman baker or pastrycook, £6 (£5 10s); journeyman baker or pastrycook, £5 10s (£5);- doughman, £6; ovensman, £6; bakehouse, labourers, £5 (£4 0s 6d); packers, £5; female workers, same wages as males for doing same class of work (females employed as journeywoman, three-quarters of the rate of journeyman; provision for employing females' as apprentices); overtime, double time (time and a half). The employees asked that the hour of starting work for bakehouse workers, except doughmakers, be not earlier than 6 a.m., the finishing time to be not later than 6•" pjh.. The respondents desire that the hours of starting work for bakehouse workers shall be as required by the employer, but shall not be earlier than 4 ajn. On Saturdays and on Other days immediately preceding a holiday the starting time may be not earlier than 3 a.m. On the day immediately preceding a two-day holiday the starting time may be not earlier than 2 a.m., and on the day immediately . preceding a three-day holiday the starting time may be not earlier than 1 a.m., provided that Sunday shall be regarded as a holiday, and'provided also that if a worker is required to start earlier than the hours prescribed he shall be paid 6d' per ;hour extra for each hour or portion of an hour worked before the prescribed hour of starting. The respondents added clauses to cover straight-shift workers in factories in which the work is regularly commenced before 4 a.m. and is done in one straight shift excepting for meal intervals. . A 44-hour week is claimed, and the following wages suggested:— Foreman baker in charge of twelva permanent men or over, £6 10s; foreman baker in charge of less than 12 men, £5 15s; journeyman baker, £5 ss; baker's assistant (adult), £4 10s; baker's labourer, £4 0s 6d; junior assistants, 16 to 17 £1 2s, 17 to 18 £1 10s, 18 to. 19 £2 2s 6d, 19"to 20 £2 10s, 20 to 21 £3; junior labourer, as per the Factories Act; overtime, time and a half for first three hours and double time thereafter. In connection with hours it was pointed out that the Arbitration Court had ruled that in such an industry it would be impracticable to work a. 40----hour week, and had granted the employers a 44-hour week. (Proceeding.)