CLOTHING TRADE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 108, 3 November 1937, Page 11

CLOTHING TRADE

WAGES AND CONDITIONS

CONCILIATION PROCEEDINGS

Conditions of employment for workers in New Zealand in the clothing trade were considered at a conciliation council today. Mr. S. Ritchie presided.

The parties were represented as follows:—Employers: Messrs. D. ,H. Blackie, A. M. Hollander, C. W. Ba,rrow„F, N. Ambler, G. Dennes, J. Abel, G;S. Amos, and D. I. Macdonald (agent). Employees: Misses A. Cossey, J. Runciman, Messrs. W. S. Moxspm, E. B. Newton, A. Macfarlane, A. Stewart, A. W. Croskery, and J. Roberts (agent).

JThe workers asked for a 4Q-hour fiveday week/ The starting wage of £1 a week was suggested for apprentices; rising to £1 15s in the yfourth halfyear; £2 was asked as the starting wage for improvers, rising, to £2 J.ss at the end of the fourth half-year. Thereafter, journeywomen's rates.1 It was asked that females over 21 years of age who had not had more than two years of factory employment should be eligible for engagement as improvers at the commencing rate of £1 16s weekly, rising to £2 5s at the end of the third half-year. The minimum wage asked for joumeywomen was £3 5s weekly, and for journeywomen employed as cutters, £4 weekly. Time and a half was asked for the first three hours' overtime from Monday to Friday, thereafter double time, and double time for work done on other days. The following paid holidays were asked for: Christmas Day, Boxing" Day, New Year's Day, January 2, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day, Labour Day, King's Birthday, and Anniversary Day. In addition, an annual paid holiday of one working day for each month of employment was sought. They asked £7 weekly for a second-class male chart cutter, and £6 10s, weekly for a stock cutter, trimmer, arid male examiner. The employers asked for a starting wage of 15s weekly for apprentices, rising to 27s.in the fourth six months. A starting wage of 31s was offered for improvers, rising to 40s for the fourth year, thereafter journeywomen's rates. They, offered £2 5o weekly as the minimum journeywomen's wage, with £2 10s 6d for those employed as cutters. As far fas male workers were concerned, they offered £4 12s 6d weekly for a second-class chart cutter, and £4 7s 6d for a stock cutter, trimmer, and male examiner. They agreed to a 40----hour week. They suggested that all time worked before the ordinary time for starting or after the ordinary time for ceasing work on any day should be overtime, and be paid for at the rate of time and a half, with mum of Is 6d per hour, provided that no worker should be entitled to receive payment at overtime rates unless for that week a full forty hours at ordinary rates had been worked. The foi- " lowing holidays were suggested::—New Year* Day, Good Friday .Easter Monday, Anzac Day, Sovereign's Birthday, Labour Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. Double rates were offered for any work done on Saturday afternoon, Sunday, or any of the following holidays: Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Anzac Day, and Sovereign's Birthday.