TREND IN AWARDS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 29 March 1938, Page 9

TREND IN AWARDS

i "STAGGERING” SYSTEM EFFECT IN INDUSTRIES | Recent trends in awards appear to , be reducing the spread of a system of . "staggering” the hours of workers that was forced on employers by many awards made soon after the Government initiated its major industrial legislation (says the "New-Zealand Herald”). Nevertheless, under a principle followed by the Courts of Arbitration by which hours of workers need not necessarily be governed by the j hours of an industry, an adjustment of working periods among employees, although not specifically provided for in awards, has become an essential arrangement in some industries. By means of extra half-holidays, longer meal periods, later starting or earlier closing times, employers arc endeavouring to meet the situation. Most l of the organised . retailers with big 1 shops, as well as chain stores, are operating under a tacit agreement ! whereby starting times are delayed j from what they were and closing times j advanced, so that it is possible to wor t staffs without staggering their hours. j GOVERNMENT LEGISLATION SHELVED In the case of the big stores it would possibly be very difficult to adjust a 44-hour working week over longer shop hours without big expense. The ' same consideration does not apply to , . many smaller shops, which in conseI quence, often maintain longer store 1 hours than the big shops. Sometimes ; this is made possible by the owner opening up a shop and bringing on his , assistant or assistants at a later hour. The principle of staggering hours is ' disliked by unions generally and it is : said that it was pressure from the ; trades unions that induced the Gov--1 ernment some months ago to prepare an amendment to the Shops and Offices Act, in which shop hours were defined 1 with the idea of reducing the periods under which shops in many districts remain open. This amending bill has been shelved , with other contentious legislation for , the time being, chiefly, it is stated, be~ , cause of protests from smaller shop- , keepers and a feeling that there might . be some public resentment. At present there are some awards giving workers in certain industries a j 40-hour week over five days, with the right of employers to employ speci- ! fled types of workers on Saturday mornings. The difficulty with Saturday 1 morning workers in such trades can only be met by extra half days or ’ other adjustments of hours. j STOREMEN AND PACKERS i The hours of storemen and packers j used to be governed by the varying hours of the industry, but a recent award fixed weekly hours at 40. with a weekly wage of £4 10s. instead of £4 ss, but gave the right to an employer to employ a worker for a further four hours at ordinary rates of pay; so that a worker employed for 44 hours would receive £4 19s, and for 42 hours, £4 14s 6d. Some warehouses are open for 42 hours in the week, so that, the principle of working hours and the industry hours being unrelated, actually peri mits the employers concerned to work storemen two hours beyond the industry hours. Apparently in this Indus- i , try few employers are prepared, pe-1 cause of the extra wages involved lo ! employ storemen ar.d packers unless 1 at busy periods beyond the 4U hours, f Much vexatious adjustment is some- •: times necessary to meei the situation. i : While trades unions are aveise to Lie ; . hours-staggering principle, employers l ;; stress the point that they arc forced ; j by circumstances to enforce it. In j ;! order to cater for the convenience of the public and in some case,, to meet j . competition, industries cannot always I - , shorten hours to conform with w orking 5! week periods fixed by awards. Of that fact the Courts are well aware.