GISBORNE SHOPS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 188, 14 July 1925, Page 11

GISBORNE SHOPS.

QUESTION OF AN AWARD. AUCKLAND, July 13. Arising from an agreement reached before the Conciliation Court on the Gisborne shopkeepers’ award, over which a technical difficulty had arisen, the Arbitration Court was asked to add certain parties to the award. Mr Hammond said that when the closing hour for the weekly half-holi-day was discussed at the Conciliation Council the employers did not want the closing hour fixed at 12.30 p.m. because it was possible the half-holi-day in Gisborne might some time be changed from Thursday, as at present to Saturday. The employers’ representatives, however, promised that so long as Thursday remained, 12 o’clock would be observed as the closing hour, although the agreement did not fix the closing hour. The union representatives agreed, but that they were going back on it now.

Mr Hammond also touched on the question of wages and holidays as agreed to at the Conciliation Council, but since repudiated by the union. He submitted that the whole merits of the case were with the employers. Mr Croskery said he failed to find any reference showing where the Court had done what Mr Hammond asked under section 94 of the Shops and Offices Act. He know nothing about the agreement until July, when lie received a copy of the agreement and he*considered tho union had made a mistake. Tho Gisborne Union now knew they would be better off under a Dominion award. The Court reserved its decision.