"SLAVES OF WORK"

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 24009, 5 July 1941, Page 14

"SLAVES OF WORK"

MASTER BUTCHERS OUTSPOKEN ADVOCATE UNION CLAIMS OPPOSED tO.C.V WELLINGTON, Friday Aa o-ntsp.)k<»n »tat«m«ac in criticism of th« elaima ad*-aa«*«i 'by til® wurkers." nnioa was made to the Arbitration Court by Mr. W, J. .Vfoantjoy, employers' adTocati*. during the hearing of p-roc«e»iiinigs for • haw award to- cort»r bntrheri' assistants in the Wellington industrial district. Efi se<?med ridiculou.s to cfe* i»TTipfoyers. b«» dncla.cn*i r thas a. workers' union should, in these difficult and tmnblona ftimea, expect the Court,. to> interfere with the hours of work and reduce the working days when master butchers were struggling hard with reduced staffs, brought about by war conditioni. to supply the needs of the general public, .Vfr. Mountjflj's statement was maiJe in reference to claims for a liv«-day wo-rking week with no work on Saturday„ and the dosing of hukiien' shops at 5 p.m. Worker!' Paradise "No consideration whatever Is shown toward, the general n-uhlic in relation to the senrice ne*ide«3. r ." Mf. Monatjoy continued. "'All that is considered is a paradise for She remaining butchers' assistants who are riot at the war, and who are enjoying peace and lire as worker* in a country where littLs- war effort is evident to th«m. rr The effect of it all was that in some cases master butchers were becoming sfaue-j of work in. their eadeatouts to meet the public need,, and at the same time sh» butchers* assistants* union was asking for increased leisure. Union Circular '"lt is .submitted to the Court that It is not the workers who- organised and suggested a fire-day week, but that the suggestion emanated from the secretary of the Wellington Amalgamate! Society o? Shop- Assistants' Cnton, _as indicated by a circular issued by him calling a meeting for March "Jfi, l')4l. said Mr. MorrntjOT. '"After setting oijt toe matters to ae considered at the meeting, -he fofkrwtng words appear: F>o you work on Saturd,j^i ; Why? is enfoyxng a ho-liday Don t take this affair lying down. Your union aopeals to you to attend the next meeting. which is to organise a decisive fight for a fire-day, 40-houT week. _B« you osale or female, you will t» fighting ns if you do not attend. The union., in its application *m endeavouring to takts away au_ tae liberties, rights and prmieps ot the shopkeeper, and to legislate for one section of the community only, making, tae employer the servant of the union and of nis own workers.