BUSINESS HOURS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 50, 27 August 1938, Page 14

BUSINESS HOURS

GROCERY FIRMS

A NEW SCHEDULE

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, August 26. Adopted as a temporary measure until results are known of the efforts now being made to stabilise working conditions in industry, a new schedule of business hours will be introduced on Monday by eight grocery firms controlling a large number of shops in Auckland. From Monday to Thursday hours will be from 8.30 a.m. to 5.15 p.m., on Friday from 9 a.m. to 3.30 p.m., and on Saturday from 8.30 a.m. to noon. It was stated that certain anomalies in the the new award covering grocers' assistants permitted shops to be open for very extended hours, although employment of staff was limited to 44 hours a week. For some unknown reason the Arbitration Court had permitted shops to be open from 8.15 a.m. until 9 p.m. on Friday, but inserted a clause that working hours could not exceed 9J. This was a provision that had not been mentioned by either side in conciliation proceedings or in Arbitration Court hearings. "Conditions regarding hours are simply chaotic," one man said. " "The union is at present considering the question of conducting a ballot among its members, and if a unanimous decision is reached the Court may be approached with a view to obtaining an amendment." •He explained the necessity for shops being open in the city itself for a period after 5 o'clock in order that shop, office, and factory workers would have an opportunity of making purchases after finishing their daily work. In order to avoid serious inconvenience and loss of trade, shops would remain open until 5.15 p.m. The hours that had been temporarily decided upon would also be subject to some variation in accordance with the requirements of the shopping public, Queen Street and Karangahape Road shops, for instance, remaining open until 9 o'clock on Friday evening.