BAKERS’ DEMAND

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21632, 8 February 1945, Page 6

BAKERS’ DEMAND

CONFERENCE FAILS OVERTIME PAYMENTS EMPLOYEES’ ATTITUDE (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 8. A conference called by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, to consider a settlement of the dispute botween the employees and employers in the baking industry, held at Wellington yesterday, broke down after two hours’ discussion. In a subsequent statement Messrs. F, IT. Bourke, national president, and A. A. McDonald, national secretary of the New Zealand Baking Trades Employees’ Industrial Union, said that negotiations had broken down because Ihe employers refused to recognise the judgment of the Full Court of October 26, 1944, holding that industries that had their working hours extended and had not made application for further extension were now brought under the 40-hour week. The objections advanced by the employers, were that the industry could not bear ■the additional costs involved' by the extra payment of wages, in overtime, for the extra four hours now worked hi the industry. The employers also contended that the extra costs should be met either by a subsidy to the industry or by an increase in the price of bread. National Issues Involved The workers were adamant that they intended to carry the dispute through to a successful conclusion, continued the statement. A special meeting of the Wellington branch of the union would be called for to-night to consider the situation, and as this 1 was a national master, to decide whether tiiey would endorse the decision of the Auckland branch to cease work at the conclusion of the day’s work on Saturday. The Auckland branch, after ceasing work on Saturday, would hold a further meeting on Saturday night to discuss: developments. The Canterbury branch would also hold a speci.E\l : meeting on Saturday afternoon to decide what action would be taken.

The baking trades dispute is now referred to the disputes committee under the strikes and lock-outs emergency regulations, according 1o a statement to-night by the Labour Department. The committee will meet to-morrow under the chairmanship of Mr. J. A. Gilmour, S.M.