HOURS OF WORK

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 32, 6 August 1936, Page 10

HOURS OF WORK

SHOP ASSISTANTS

APPLICATION TO COURT

SATURDAY TRADE

The hearing of the application by the Shop Assistants' Union' for a 40----hour .week was commenced in the Arbitration Court today. The hours of work at present prescribed by the shop assistants' awards are 48 per week, and under the Shops and Offices Act, 1936, these hours are -reduced to 44 a week. Mr. T. O. Bishop appeared for the employers and Mr. A. W. Croskery for the workers. At the outset, Mr. Bishop pointed out that the Court had refused to make an order prohibiting work on Saturday in the grocery business, and it would appear that this decision had been given on grounds which had an application to all retail business. The necessity of going on with the case had therefore been removed. Mr. Croskery said that this.case was entirely "different from the other cases. The Court in its decision in the butchers' and grocers' cases specified the point concerning perishable goods. This fact was not associated with the present case. ..,.■• Mr. Justice Page directed that the case must proceed. Mr. Bishop said that from the fact that the hours had been reduced by the amendment of the Shops and Offices Act it was clear that Parliament had already given careful consideration to. the question of the reduction of hours, and it was clear that in the light of the consideration given by Parliament it had been decided that a reduction below 44 hours was not desirable. The decision of Parliament was entitled to consideration, and in face of that decision a very strong case would have to ba made out to justify a further reduction of hours. "The decision upon this application must depend upon the Court's interpretation of the words 'practicable to carry on the industry efficiently,' " said Mr. Bishop. He submitted that the business of a retailer was entirely difi ferent from that of a. manufacturer. In connection with manufacturing it must be held that if the product of the factory could be turned out up to a proper standard of quality and at a cost which would enable it to be sold in competition, in the markets of New Zealand, and if a manufacturer was able to carry on his business successfully and profitably working a 40-hour week, then-the 40-hour week must be granted to the factory workers. CHANNEL OF DISTRIBUTION. In the case of retail business, however, that efficiency had to be determined by a different standard altogether. The retail business was a channel of distribution to the public of the manufacturer's product, and.was therefore the concern of the manufacturer and of the general public. The efficiency of the retail business must be measured by the quality of service which it rendered on the one hand to the manufacturer and on the other hand to the public. The service to the manufacturer could not be considered an efficient service unless it enabled the maximum quantity of manufactured goods to be distributed to the consumers. Anything which interfered with the maximum distribution. must tend to render the service of the retailer to the manufacturer an inefficient service. Similarly, the service of the retailer to the general publicI'must be gauged by the degree' to which the legitimate demands and requirements of the general public .were satisfied. Mr. Bishop called evidence to show, that the adoption of- a 40----hour week by retail, shopkeep,ers throughout the Dominion would result: in a falling-off in the service rendered by the retail distributors to the manufacturers and also in the service rendered to the, general public. BUSINESS ON SATURDAY. Mr. W. Simm, manager of the D.1.C., Wellington, said that figures taken over a period of 15 weeks this year showed that the amount of business done on Saturday morning represented 90 per cent, of the total trade of the week. The figures: showed that during that period 14,684 people were served. A large number of people who were never seen at any other time shopped on Saturday morning. Mr. Bishop read a statement from the general manager of Wpohvorths' (N.Z.), Ltd., Wellington branch, which pointed out that of the total number of persons served during the week those served on Friday night and Saturday morning represented 14.9 per cent, and 14.7 per cent, respectively. Mrs. B. Smith, secretary of the women's division of the Farmers' Union, said she had circularised 28 provincial executives seekingtheir opinion about the closing of shops on Friday night and Saturday morning, and they were unanimous that it would be a great inconvenience to country women and children if shops were closed during those periods. Replying to Mr. Croskery, Mrs. Smith said that the Drapers' Federation had supplied her with a circular. To Mr. Monteith, witness said she was under the impression that a 40----hpur week meant the closing of premises on a Friday night and Saturday morning. .

Mr. Bishop brought further evidence to show that a 40-hour week would prove of great inconvenience, and also that the Saturday morning trade was of great importance to retail business.

(Proceeding.)