COOKS AND WAITERS AND THEIR SISTER WORKERS.

NZ Truth, Issue 66, 22 September 1906, Page 4

COOKS AND WAITERS AND THEIR SISTER WORKERS.

Cooks and waiters apparently don't value the services of woman— lovely woman— round the kitchen at any great chucks. According to a list drawn up for presentation to the Conciliation Board by the Amalgamated Society. of Cooks and Waiters, the female who manipulates the gridiron and .the stew-pot is only worth a -quarter as much as the gentleman who wears a card board box for a hat and performs the same duties. The following is the rate of wages the Society asks from the Board -.— First-class hotels, from £1 per week for assistant female cooks to £5 per week for chefs ; second-class hotels, from £1 per week for female cooks to £3 10s per week for chefs ; thirdclass hotels, from 17s 6d per week for female cooks and pantrymaids to £2 10s per week for chefs ; restaurants, from 17s -6d per week for maids and female cooks to £3 10s per week for chefs • tea rooms, from 22s 6d per week to 25s per week, with uniforms when the use of. such is ordered by employers. The union also asks for preference of employment. How can the cooks and waiters expect to get fair play from their employees when they themselves are so grossly unfair to their sister workers. For female cooks 1/rs 6d to £1 per week is considered sufficient, whilst tiie males must have from £2 10s to £5 per week. The latter price is not too high, indeed it is too low for a good, man— a good cook, male or female, is a pearl beyond price and unfortunately almost as rare'-but the former wage is certainly too low to offer any woman ;^hb has to do her six days toil iv a kitchen. And surely the Society is very short sighted m. not looking after its female members better. Possibly a man, either as cook or waiter, may do more work 'than a woman, but not three or four times as much. Is it likely, therefore, that employers are going to pay a man the wage of' four Women when he can only do at the most two women's work ? The making of such a huge difference between the price of male and female labor will surely tend to the further employment of females, to the exclusion of males— an end the Society is doubtless not m the least anxious to obtain. Wouldn't it' be policy if the officials revised this list and added at least 10s a week to the girl's wages ?