SHOP ASSISTANTS

Evening Star, Issue 22956, 13 May 1938, Page 1

SHOP ASSISTANTS

THE DOMINION DISPUTE HEARING BY COURT [Pan United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, May 12. The hearing of the Dominion shop assistants’ industrial dispute, which was begun in the Second Court of Arbitration in Wellington on Tuesday, was continued to-day, when further evidence was heard in support of the claims by the employers. A partial agreement was reached in the Conciliation Council, but several items are still in dispute. The court will resume to-morrow, when the hearing will be concluded. The issues in dispute include wages and hours of employment. The workers claim a five-day week of 40 hours with the abolition of the late shopping night on Fridays and the introduction of a closed holiday on Saturdays. Questioned about the latter claim a witness from Christchurch submitted that if shops were compelled to close as suggested there would be big decreases in the turnover. He produced a summary of the sales made on a Friday from 9 a.m. to noon. The sales were 9.54 per cent, of the day’s turnover, from noon to 5 p.m. 42.22 per cent., from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. 14.07 per cent, and from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. 32.90 per cent. Witness added that since the 40-hour week had been introduced his Saturday morning sales had increased by nearly 50 per cent. “Factory girls,” he said, “now have a privilege they have never had before and are able to shop in daylight. The colour factor plays a tremendous part in the making up of girls’ apparel.” Witness quoted a relatively small bootshop in Christchurch which employed about five hands. The return for six weeks showed in some cases that the shop put through more business on Friday and Saturday than during the remainder of the week. The turnover to-day was less than in 1930. The selling costs had increased considerably.