LABOR DISPUTES

Evening Star, Issue 18785, 8 November 1924, Page 19

LABOR DISPUTES

HOTEL AND RESTAURANT EMPLOYEES. [Pee United Peess Association.] WELLINGTON, November 7. The Commissioner of the Conciliation Council (Mr W. Newton) presided at the hearing of the claims of the New Zealand Federated Hotel and Restaurant Employees’ Industrial Association of Workers for a dominion award. This was the third rutting, and a complete agreement was reached. The hours of work per week were fixed at forty-eight. Holidays and conditions of work were agreed to, and the scope of the award is to ho for two years. In regard to wages, in a kitchen with six hands the chief male cook will receive £5 ss, female cook £4 14s; five hands, £5 2s 6d and £4 11s; four hands, £4 12s and £4 Is; three hands, £3 IQs fid and £3 13s fid; two hands, £3 2s and £2 15s; one hand, £2 9s fid and £2 3s fid; kitchen hand attending to boiler, 5s per week extra; dining room waiter, £2 17s; head waitress (if three or more employed), £1 17s fid; other waitresses, £1 15s; housemaid waitress, £1 15s; other classes (housemaid, pantrymaid, laundress, linen maid, relieving maid), £1 15s each; pantrymaid and day porter, £2 5s each; night porter, £2 7s; oyster opener, £2 15s fid ; general hands —male £2 ss, female £2 2s fid; bar attendants, counter hands, or dispensers in marble bars—male £2 17s, females £1 15s, At the conclusion the Conciliation Commissioner congratulated both parties upon having reached an agreement. APPRENTICES ACT. CHRISTCHURCH, November 7. The Arbitration Court to-day heard the first dispute brought before it in Christchurch under the Apprentices Act. It was asked to fix in the plumbing industry in the whole dominion (except Auckland) the proportion of apprentices to journeymen, and the wages and extra pay for apprentices who hold technical or educational certificates, and to decide the question of daylight technical instruction. Mr C. Renn appeared for the employees and Mr W. Cecil Prime for the employers. Mr Renn said the employees asked for one apprentice to three journeymen over a whole district and one to two journeymen actually employed in a shop; but the employers asked for one to one. The apprentices in the industry at present were not adequately trained. Ho asked the court to consider carefully whether employers in a small way should be allowed to train apprentices. He submitted that they should be trained by competent journeymen. Words should be inserted to .provide “ that an employer who trained apprentices ” was “ substantially engaged in the' trade.” as some master plumbers' actual work was negligible. Mr Justice Frazer said he agreed with that principle, but its application was difficult. He did not like to use the word “ substantially;” because it had acquired a recognised significance, meaning 50 per cent, or more. It was better to allow tb.fi court to find another word or a sentence to convey the moaning in Mr Renn’s mind. The court reserved its decision.