CLUB WORKERS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 45, 22 August 1938, Page 11

CLUB WORKERS

AWARD WANTED

TERMS DISCUSSED

An industrial dispute concerning employees in chartered clubs is being considered by the conciliation council which commenced a sitting today. Chartered clubs in all parts of New Zealand are joined as parties. Prior to the amendment of the I.C. and A. Act in 1937, employees of chartered clubs were exempted by legislation from award provisions, and the 1937 amendment gave them the right to apply to be brought under the provisions of the Act. The suggested term of the award is one year.

The applicant is the New Zealand Federated Hotel, Restaurant, and Related Trades Industrial Association of Workers.

The Conciliation Commissioner (Mr. M. J. Reardon). is presiding. The advocate for the employers is Mr. W. J. Mountjoy and for the employees Mr. F. G. Young. Assessors for the employers are Messrs. H. J. Aekins (Auckland), J. W. Sandtmann (Napier) E. W Clarkson, H. W. Waters, C. N. Beasley (Wellington), , and J. Manson (Christchurch), and for the employees Messrs. K. A. Brooks (Christchurch), M. J. Kelly (Dunedin), J. Davidson, F. O'Sullivan (Wellington), W. F. Campbell (New Plymouth), and W. R Taylor (Auckland). Agreement was reached upon a number of clauses in the proposals and counter-claims, and the council is now discussing wages, hours, and holidays, which are the chief questions in dispute. The workers asked for a 40-hour1 week, to be worked on five days, two full days' holiday of 48 consecutive hours in each week, and an annual holiday of two weeks. EMPLOYERS' OFFER. The employers offered a 46-hour week, but Mr. Mountjoy intimated that! they were prepared to reduce this to: 44 hours. They offered one full day'sl holiday and one half-day in each week and an annual holiday of one week j The employees asked that overtime! rates at time and a half be paid to all! workers asked to work on the following special holidays: Christmas Day ! Boxing Day, New Year's Day, January j A Anzac Day, Anniversary Day, Good! Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day,] and the Sovereign's Birthday. The employers offered overtime rates at time and a half for workers employed on! Christmas Day, Good Friday, Anzac Day, and Labour Day. Mr. Mountjoy suggested tht the employees should consider a wages offer on the basis of the rates recently offered by the employers in the private hotels' dispute and which have still to be considered at a further meeting of the parties to the private hotels', dispute. These represented an approximate increase of 5s weekly for male workers and 2s 6d for females, as against the rates being paid under the present private hotel workers' award.

Mr. Young said that his assessors would consider the matter.

It was decided that the rates for casual workers be the same as those offered iby the employers in the private hotels' dispute and it was agreed that wages be paid either weekly or fortnightly.'

The clauses governing distant engagement, travelling expenses, etc., as agreed to in the private hotel workers' proposed agreement were agreed to.

Mri-v Young contended that where black, alpaca or white coats were worn by club employees, the coats' should be supplied by the employers. If the employers would agree to this, the employees would agree to the employers' other proposals with regard to the supply and laundering of uniforms.

When the luncheon adjournment was taken, the employees' representatives were to consider the wages offer by the employers. .'