THE BAKING TRADE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18211, 3 October 1922, Page 9

THE BAKING TRADE.

NEW AWARD ISSUED.

A DOMINION BASIS.

TEAROOMS EXCLUDED. f>V TKLKGEAPH.—PEESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. Monday. Ths Arbitration Court to-day issued its award in the operative bakers and pastrycooks' dispute. The award relates to firms, employees, and conditions in tho Wellington industrial district, hut other districts may be included on application. The Court, in a memorandum attached, said that clauses in respect of hours, wages, labourers, overtime, holidays (including annual holidays), and employment of females were in dispute. The Court had decided to fix weekly hours at 46. Tho union's claim for a 44-hour week could not be conceded, as <he Court w*i not satisfied that a week's work in thj majority of cases could bo got through in less than 46 hours. A 46-hour week appeared to have worked satisfactorily in tho two districts in which it was now in operation.

Regarding wages, the Court had fixed rates in accordance with those generally prescribed by more recent awards made in other districts. Tho Court had decided to omit the former drastic limitation of the number of labourers and junior labourers, being of opinion that restriction of their duties to purely unskilled operations was sufficient to impose a natural limitation of their numbers. The

Court had also fixed the commencing age at 18, in order to encourage younger lads to become apprentices, instead of emharking on dead-end employment. Over time rates differed considerably in various awards, but the Court 'had decided to standardise them on the barn's of time and a-quarter for tho first two hours, time and a-half for tho next two hours, and double time thereafter. In that connection the Court had incorporated bonuses in basic rates so that overtime would in future be payable on total wages. The Court had provided for an annual holiday of one week for each year's continuous service. The matter of the employment of females gave the Court some difficulty, but it had decided to permit females oilier than journeymen to perform certain skilled operations for which tfhey were peculiarly suited at a rate equivalent to two-thirds of the journeyman's rate Scope of Award. The scope of the award was a matter of difficulty, owing to the proprietors of a number of tearooms, home-made cake shops and drapers' tearooms having been cited. The Court considered that tearooms whether in drapers' shops or independently managed, should not be included if they did not sell bakers' or pastrycooks' goods for consumption off thf» the premises. The Court considered also that genuine home-made cake shops in which journeymen were not employed, should not be covered by this award, but should be dealt with under a separate award. Application for such an award had been filed in the Canterbury district The Court had deleted a number of names of the proprietors cjf these establishment? from the list of parties to the present award, and would on application strike out any others who satisfied tho Court that they did not come within its scope. Members of the Court were not unani-

mous on every clause, but had decided to accept th«> award as a whole without dissent. Wages and Conditions. Tho hours of starting work for bakers shall not be earlier than 4 a.m. except mi Saturdays and on days immediately preceding a public holiday,' when it may bo 3 a.m. In tho event oi! a double holiday work may be commenced at 2 a.m., and in tho (jvent of a triple holiday work may be commenced at 1 a.m. Where employers have country deliveries or have to forward bread by country coaches tbey may start work at 3 a.m. Sunday shall, for the purpose of this sub-clause be regarded as a holiday. In towns having a population oit less ttian 1500 persons the hours of work may be fixed by each employer according to the requirements of his particular business. The hours of starting work for pastrycooks shall not te earlier than 6 a.m. on four days of the week and not earlier than 4 a.m. on Saturday and one other day of tho week, which shall, at tho employers' option, be either Monday or Friday. No pastrycook's work shall be commenced before 6 a.m. unless paid at the rate of double. Minimum wages shall be as follows: — Foreman baker or pastrycook, £6 3.1 per week: journeyman baker or pastrycook. £4 13s; baker's labourer, £3 19s. Apprentices, for the first six months £1 7s 6d. second six months £1 10s. third six months £1 17s 6d. for fourth six months £2, fifth six months £2 ss, sixth six months £2 17s 6d, eighth six months £3 5s per week. Workers shall be employed on morning and afternoon shifts alternately unless otherwise arranged by mutual consent. The new award will come into operation on October 9, and continue until October 9. 1924.