CONCILIATION COUNCIL

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 January 1939, Page 2

CONCILIATION COUNCIL

BUTCH Rt.’S’ ASSIS'I'A NTS DISPUTE

A. silting i)l’ ilh.' ('oncilialioti Conn nil was hold al. Groymotilh 10-day, I<> consider Iho West land Butchers Assistants Dispute ( employees’ application for a. new award) with 49 butchers in Greymoutli. Westport. Waitiia. Hokitika. Kumai'a, Reofloti and contiguous country districts. The Conciliation Commissioner (Mr S. Ritchie) presided and the assessors were: Employers: Messrs .!. Trudg('on (Canterbury Employers' Association). 'l'. W. Stephenson (Chrislchurrh), J. S. Ilowson i Greymoutli I, 11. Ellery t West port I and S. Stewart (Greymoutli). Employees: Messrs G. W. Robertson t Christchurch i. 'l'. .1. Harry. 'l'. Bond (Greymoutli), ami ID Week’es t West port I. An application for exemption was received from L. G. Mercer. Greymouth. on the grounds that lie did not handle fresh moat, but. retailed only small goods. The application was refused. Mr Triidgeon suggested that, in order to expedite matters, negotiations should be based on the Nelson award, which was the latest award in the industry, made by the Court just before Christmas. The conditions in Westland wore more in line with Nelson than Canterbury or Wellington, and if the matter was referred to the Court, lie thought that Westland would gel. thi' Nelson rates of pay.

holidays etc. 'rhe hours in the Nel son award would not suit, and lie sag gc-.-IcU (hat ibcv lomaiu as al pre sent in the various Westland districts After a. short adjournment, tin workers’ assessors agreed to accept the Nelson award as a. basis of dis cession.

Tim employees seel; a 'Hi-hour week to lie worked as follows: (a) between the hours of 8 a.tn. and 5 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Thursday' and Friday; (h) on Monday, Tuesday. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, not more than seven hours to be worked and on. Saturday not more than live hours. In al) cases work to he continuous (except, for one hour for a meal.) from the lime of starting work each day. The wages scale set on 1 . in the schedule is:—

First shopman or man in charge ■CG/10/- per week; second shopman £’l; first small-goodsman I’ti/lt)/-. second small-goodsman £'G. slaughterman I‘G, men in charge of hawking cart ‘A 17/6; beef carters .I’s/17/6: all other workers £5/10/-. Employers may emploj- boys and youths at not less than the following rates: Under 17: First six months £l/10/-; second six months £l/15/-; third six months £2; provided, however, that a. youth between nineteen and twenty-one years of age. who has served not. less than three years at the trade shall receive £3/10/-. The employers counter proposals in respect, to hours and wages are: — Hours of work: (a) The ordinary hours of work shall not exceed 44 per week, and may be worked between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. on four days of the wook, between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on one day of the week, and between the hours of 7 a.m. and 12 noon on the day of the weekly halfholiday. (b) An employer may require a worker to work fifteen minutes beyond his ordinary time of ceasing work for the purpose of cleaning up the shop without: payment, of overtime, subject, however, to the weekly number of hours not. being exceeded The following shall be the minimum rates of wages: First shopman or men in charge £5/10/- per week; second shopman £5; first small-goodsman £5 10/-; all other workers £4/10/6; man in charge of hawking-cart £4/10/6. Employers maj’ employ youths at not. less than the fallowing rates: Under 17 years of age £l/7/6 per week; from 17 to I7A years of age £.l/11/6; from 17i to IS years of age £l/15/6; from IS to ISA years of age £l/19/6; from ISA to 19 years of age £2/3/6; from 19 to 21 years of age £2/15/-; thereafter as in clause 2. Provided, however, that a youth between 19 and 21 years of age, who has served not, less than three years at the trade shall receive not less than £3/2/6 per week. Several of the machiner.v clauses, including holidays and general conditions are also in dispute. The discussion was still proceeding when the “Star’’ went to press, although progress towards an agreement had been made.