STOREMEN AND PACKERS

Evening Star, Issue 21255, 9 November 1932, Page 12

STOREMEN AND PACKERS

AGREEMENT REACHED [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, November 8. After an eleventh-hour deadlock on the question of overtime rates had been successfully overcome a complete agreement was reached in the Conciliation Council to-day between the New Zealand federated storemen,-" packers (other than in retail shops), and wareliouse employees and their employers. More than 700 employers will bo parties to the new award. The main points of the agreement, which, when it is ratified by the court, will form an award with a term of one year, are that tho workers will accept a 5 per cent, reduction on tho present net rates lor adults and a substantial reduction in the rates for juniors. The hours of work and overtime icmain unaltered. , In tho course of the proceedings, Mr T O. Bishop, for the employers, took tlic opportunity to issue an emphatic denial of the statement made m Auckland that the employers had decided upon a concerted policy for a reduction of wages. Mr Bishop said he had always advised employers to pay the highest wages possible. ... Mr Miller fAuckland), one of the employees’ assessors, said it was strange that similar clauses were so in tho employers’ proposals. Mr Bishop said that this was not so. Some of the employers had based their proposals upon a 5 per cent, ieduction, others on a 10 per cent, reduction, and some had used the existing auaid rates as a basis.