TO WHICH UNION ?

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 19 December 1936, Page 10

TO WHICH UNION ?

WHOLESALE OR RETAIL? COURT TO DECIDE (By Telegraph—Press Association) WELLINGTON, 18th December. Because some workers employed by a chain store organisation are connected with both the retail and wholesale activities of the business, the Shop Assistants’ Union and the Storemen's and Packers’ Union have been unable to decide which union should cover them. To settle the matter Mr J. Tucker, for the Storemen’s, and Packers’ Union, moved in the Arbitration Court to-day to add them to the award covering storemen and packers. Mr A. W. Croskery opposed the application on behalf of the Shop Assisttant’s Union. In adding parties to awards, said Mr Tucker, the membership clause of the union and the work performed by the workers had to be considered. The membership clause, of his union covered not only wholesale merchants but . any other establishment other than a retail shop. That meant it did not cover a storeman in a retail shop. Hesubmitted that workers employed as storemen in bulk stores could not be classed as shop assistants. It could not be held that-a bulk store supplying a line of shops even of the same company, was a. retail shop, any more than it could be argued that a retail shop was a bulk store. His union could not claim storemen in retail shops and the Shop Assistants’ Union should not be able to claim members in bulk establishments.

Mr Croskery said it was purely a matter for interpretation and he submitted that the division between wholesale workers and retail workers was clear cut. He submitted that the men in question were attached to the rqtail activities of the shops and should come under the Shop Assistants’ Union. '

After hearing evidence regarding the work done by the parties in dispute, the Court reserved its decision.