SHOPS AND OFFICES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19531, 14 July 1925, Page 8

SHOPS AND OFFICES.

THE iGISEORKE DISPUTE. (Peb United Pbess Association.) AUCKLAND, July 13. Arising from the agreement reached at the Conciliation Council on the Gisborne shopkeepers’ award, over which a technical difficulty had arisen, the Arbitration Court was to-day asked to add certain parties to* the award. Mr J. L. Hammond said that when the closing hour for the weekly half-holiday was discussed at the Conciliation, Council the employers did not want the closing hour fixed at 12.30 p.m., because it was possible the half-holiday in Gisborne might at some time be changed from Thursday, as at present, to Saturday. The employers’ representatives, however, promised that so long as Thursday remained, 12 o’clock would be observed as the closing hour, although the agreement did not fix the closing hour. The union representatives had agreed, but they were going back on it now. Mr Hammond also touched on the question of wages and holidays as agreed to at the Conciliation Council, but since repudiated by the union. He submitted that the whole merits of the case were with the employers. Mr A. Croskerry said he failed to find any reference showing where the court had done what Mr Hammond asked under section 9-1 of the Shops and Offices Act. He knew nothing about the agreement till July, when he received a copy of the agree-, meat, and ho considered the union had made a mistake. The Gisborne union now knew that it would be better off under the dominion award. The court reserved its decision.