STORES IDLE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22962, 14 February 1938, Page 10

STORES IDLE

NO SATURDAY WORK WOOL EMPLOYEES' ACTION DEMAND FOR EXTRA PAY Following a stop-work meeting on Friday, when storemen employed in the wool, grain, hide and manure stores in Auckland decided not to work on Saturday morning at ordinary rates of pay, the stores were idle on Saturday. A recent award of tho Court of Arbitration fixed wages on a 40-hour week basis, but permitted work for four hours on Saturday at ordinary rates of pay in addition to tho weekly wage. The men have demanded timo and a-half for four hours' work on Saturday morning, and double rates thereafter. Action by the storemen was confined to Auckland, although the award to which objection is taken applies to other districts over the Dominion, with the exception of Canterbury and Westland. It is said tho men worked the previous Saturday under protest, and now intend simply to refuse to work on Saturdays under tho conditions provided for in tho award. It is expected they will attend work to-day as usual. Question of Retrospective Pay

In addition to tho claims regarding Saturday work, tho men liavo demanded that increases of pay should be retrospective to November, instead of January 1, as contained in the award. About 250 men are concerned in the dispute, it being stated that approximately 95 per cent are seasonal workers only. Seven stores were affected on Saturday, tho firms being Abraham and Williams, Limited, Alfred Buckland and Sons, Limited, the Farmers' Cooperative Auctioneering Company, Limited, Dalgety and Company, Limited, tho New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, the New Zealand Shipping Company, Limited, and the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company, Limited. Tho men are reticent on tho question whether their attitude will bo continued on other Saturdays. Tho employers also will not comment on the position, but it is thought likely that tho New Zealand Woolbrokers' Association will make representations to the Government. The Official Attitude

Members of the Auckland Woolbrokers' Association-met on Friday and Saturday morning to consider the question. Subsequently, Mr. B. J. Marquet, president of the association, said he was not prepared to comment on the situation, as the matter was in the hands of the New Zealand Association. Mr. W. Miller, secretary of the Auckland Storemen and Packers' Union, who attended with a member of the executive at the various stores on Saturday morning, also declined to comment. Very few men were to be seen about the stores on Saturday The cessation of work on Saturday morning probably did not cause employers much inconvenience, except in those stores where there is much reclassing, binning and pooling to bo done. Earlier in the season it is stated that any cessation of work on Saturdays would have hampered the preparation for sales very considerably. At present work is in progress for the final sale on March 26.

CHRISTCHURCH. COMMENT WOOLBROKERS'. PRESIDENT [by telegraph—OWN correspondent] CHRISTCHURCH. Saturday "Tlio men have committed a clear breach of the award, and it now remains for the employers to advise the Labour Department, and ask it what it proposes to do," said the president of the New Zealand Woolbrokers' Association, Mr. Wilson, in commenting on the Auckland dispute. The Wellington and Napier workers were a little restive, and had held meetings to consider what action they would take. Wiser counsels had prevailed, however, and they had decided to continue working, said Mr. Wilson. It was hoped to localise the trouble in Auckland. There was 110 suggestion of work stopping in the Canterbury stores.