FIVE-DAY WEEK URGED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19142, 7 October 1925, Page 14

FIVE-DAY WEEK URGED.

CLAIMS OF TAILOREBES. OPPOSITION BY EMPLOYERS. MEETING FOREIGN COMPETITION. The Arbitration Court was engaged yesterday in hearing the dispute of the Auckland clothing trade workers. Mr. Justice Frazer presided, with Messrs. W. ' Scott and H. Hunter as assessors. Mr. S, E. Wright appeared for the employers, Miss A. E. Cossey for the Tailoresses' Union and Mr. W. S. Moxsom for the cutters and pressers and other trade employees. Three awards were in dispute. In outlining the tailoresses' claims Miss Cossey said that, as Auckland was the industrial centre of New Zealand, itshould take the lead regarding conditions in the trade. The workers in Christchurch had recently stated their claims, but the Auckland dispute was filed first and it was also asked that if a Dominion award were made it should make the Southern centre fail into line with Auckland. His Honor said the Workers' Federation could not cite employers in a district where it had not an affiliated union. For this reason any award made must relate to Auckland. The only way in which the union, having resigned from I the federation, could be brought back to affiliation would be for the employers to cross-cite. The present dispute could be regarded merely as local. If the union were able to convince it that certain agreements made in the South should be altered, the Court would give the matter full weight. The Court would in all probability adopt its usual course and not decide upon one dispute before it had heard the other. Limitation of Apprentices. Miss Cossey said that a 40 instead of a 44-hour week was desired, with an ! hour for lunch and 10 minutes for morni ing tea. The five-dav week was worked in some factories and it was desired to ! bring the remaining ones into line. The work was very monotonous, and the vibration of machinery trying to the worki ers. In reference to wages there was a tendency to employ too many apprentices, which was a danger to journeywomen. Limitation of apprentices to I the ratio of one to three journeywomen was asked for. | Mr. Moxsom said his section was not j a party to the federation and had broken away because it felt its weight was not what it should be. It was asked that consideration be given to conditions and that the workers be placed on a level with other industries. Mr. Wright said, regarding the application for redaction in hours and increase in wages, that the claim showed how dangerous it was for an employer in a position to do so to grant any special concession to his workers. It was round where concessions were granted that the union immediately asked for them as rights. Mr. Hunter-. The track has to he blazed, you know. Increased Production. Mr. Wright: In view of the foreign competition in the clothing industry, anj reduction of hours is going to hit factories very hard indeed. In regard to wages we will show the industry is not in a position to stand any great increase unless it gets increased production at the same time. Miss Cossey admits that the wages for the better class of worker range from £2 IDs to £3 a week. In this case employers are getting perfection and do not grndge the money; it is where a minimum-wage worker does not do a very good week's work that the factorv would lose. In connection with the limitation of apprentices there is no surplus of journeywomen, in fact there is a shortage. If we want to put production in this country on a level with others we will have to work longer hours. Otherwise industries must go out. After two factory managere had given 1 evidence on the subject of increase in ; importations due to smaller prices which | made competition difficult for Dominion manufacturers, the Court reserved its decision.