THEATRE WORKERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23205, 26 November 1938, Page 20

THEATRE WORKERS

, (NEW AWARD ISSUED SOUTHERN TERMS AS HASIS .WAGES NOT RETROSPECTIVE A new award for employees in houses of entertainment and places of amusement in the northern industrial district has been issued by the Arbitration Court. - Mr. Justice O'Rogan, in a memorandum to the award, states that practi- ' cally all the clauses were in dispute, although a complete agreement had keen arrived at recently between similar parties in the Taranaki, Wellington, Marlborough and Canterbury industrial districts. Tho Court, had adopted tho terms of that agreement with slight amendments and the in- ' corporation of the few clauses agreed upon by the parties in this dispute. The union had desired to bring under the provisions of this award, His Honor adds, all sports bodies, boxing and wrestling associations, and racing clubs. Inasmuch as boxing and wrest-

ling associations had been bound hitherto, they had been retained as parties, but tho names of other sports bodies and racing clubs had beon struck out from tho list. If it was still desired to have such bodies covered by an award, tho Court considered that proceedings should bo taken on tho linos indicated at tho hearing—that the citation in this present caso be accepted, and a new conciliation council held at which conditions suitablo to tho organisations concerned might bo discussed. His Honor states that the term of

the award had been made to expire concurrently with the agreement referred to above to facilitate the making of a Dominion award. The union had asked that the increase in wages should „be made retrospective to Juno 14, but tho Court had made them payablo as from the date of the hearing of the dispute. Mr. A. L. Montoith, in a dissenting Opinion, states that on September 12, the date set down for the hearing, the employers had applied for an adjournment to allow of another conference, or joining with the Dominion hearing in Wellington. The union was prepared to go on and had witnesses in attendance. The Court had granted tho employers' application. The next hearing was held on November 15 and he was ' of the opinion that the wages should be retrospective to October 19 as had been done in tho Dominion dispute. TERMS CRITICISED STATEMENT BY SECRETARY MEETING TO BE HELD DISCUSSION OF PROPOSALS "Great discontent has been caused 'among theatre workers by their award, which has just been issued by the Arbitration Court," says a' statement issued by Mr. W.'T. Quealy, secretary of the Auckland Houses of Entertainment and Places of Amusement Employees' Industrial Union of Workers. A .special meeting of tho union will be held next week, when certain proposals of the executive will be discussed in connection with the nijw award. "The Court has now issued an award ■which not only destroys many of the benefits that the workers had previously enjoyed, but also introduces certain undesirable provisions into the award, which neither the employers nor the union asked for," the statement says. "For instance, the Count; has made provision for the employment of youths, although the employers made no claims •with respect of youths. "The Court has also extended the . principle of engagement at performance rates, instead of weekly engagements, in spite of the fact that in a former pronouncement the Court expressed the opinion that the principle of weekly engagements should be extended. The award increases the hours of ticket-sellers by half an hour each performance, and allows an increase of 6d a performance. "Tho award also allows cashiers engaged on a weekly wage to bo worked 40 .minutes longer on any one day without payment of overtime. Caretakers in the city areas receive on in- . crease of 3s weekly, tho first increase since 1923, although tho Court had previously established a standard of 6s increase over the 1931 rates. ,

"The award also makes a recluotion in the overtime rates of female workers on a weekly wage. The rates Set by the Court are lower than those offered by the employers in their counterproposals."