CONCILIATION COUNCIL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17328, 30 May 1918, Page 3

CONCILIATION COUNCIL

The Conciliation Commissioner (Mr W. H. Hagger) held a sitting yesterday, when tho Utago Grocers dispute was taken. The assessors for the employers were Messrs \fii ,™ re " s ° 11 0 Etheridge, and A. - Infer (with Mr A. S. Cookson as agent); and those for the employees were Messrs . J. Renwick and R. S. White (with Mr !«■. Breen as agent). The union asked for tho following increases in the present wages: Grocers assistants, 15 to 16 years of age, from 10s to It ! s £1 & 6d; 17 to 18, %f' ? £ i„ ;18 19, £1 10s to s ',l 9 to 2°- £2 to £2 15s; 20 to 21, iL rj, o £3 ss; 21 to £2 12s 6d to £6 Its; 22 years and over, £2 17s 6d to employers asked that the present conditions obtain, and stated that they wero p r ep ar ed to offer a bonus of 10 per cent. Mr Lauren9on said that before discussing the proposals they would like the union to give some justification for the wages demanded, some of_ which were exorbitant. Mr Breen said it was hardly usual to make such a request. The reasons would be given to the Arbitration Court if no decision was come to at the council Mr Hagger suggested that Mr Breen should present an outline of his case, without giving it away, so far as future Arbitration Court proceedings might be concerned. jVIr Breen said they wanted to put grocers on un equal footing with other workers, in the matter of hours. Then there was the extra cost of the necessaries of life. It would be a waste of time to rattle such k' lcre - When the Shops and Offices Act came into force many years ago, the hours of grocers were fixed at 52 per week. The tendency all over the world was to reduce the hours of work, and the grocers failed to see why they should be tied down tor all time by the 52 hours of the Act. The grocers could see no reason why they should work 52 hours a week when in the majority of cases other trades worked 44 hours, receiving in some cases greater remuneration for their 44 hours than the grocers at present received for 52. Mr Bieeu said ho considered that if grooers' shops were closed at 5 or 5.30 o'clock tho owners would save lighting. and do just as good business. Mr Laurenson asked if the wages asked would not increase the cost of tho neces. sarics of life. . Mr Cookson remarked that a tremendous increase in wages was asked for. He laid on the table copies of the new awards recontly made in \\ ellington and Christchurch. rhe hours of work wero left as before in both awards. The general conditions wero practically the same as in tho old award. Iho Commissioner said the new awards provided for a minimum of £3 per week lor men over the age of 22 years, plus 10 per cent.' As tho union's assessors had not received copies of the northern awards, an adjournment was agreed to enable them to peruse them. On resuming tho employers agreed to offer an advance to £3 per week, with a 10 per cent, bonus, so far as all employees over 22 years of age were concerned; the other wages to remain as at present, with tho addition of the 10 per cent, bonus, the week's work to remain at 52 hours. Mr Cookson said that tho Dunedin award had expired last December. Eventually the union delegates agreed to accept the employers' offer as to wages and bonus, the other general conditions to remain as at present, the award to como into force on July 1 and to continue in force for two years.