NEW INDUSTRIAL LEGISLATION

Southland Times, Issue 22949, 23 July 1936, Page 6

NEW INDUSTRIAL LEGISLATION

Retailers Express Disapproval MANY DIFFICULTIES (United Press Association.) Christchurch, July 22 Christchurch retailers at a widely attended general meeting to-day, condemned the imposition of compulsory increases in wages and shorter hours as oppressive. The meeting, which comprised practically all the employing parties to the Shop Assistants’ Award, passed a resolution expressing this criticism and suggesting that the effect of the new industrial conditions should be observed for a period before a compulsory shortening of shopping hours was imposed. In tentative schemes of hours to comply with the legislation, the employers have been working on the basis of the 44-hour week laid down in the Shops and Offices Act Most of the shops now work 46 hours. To make the necessary reduction the elimination of either the late night on Friday or Saturday morning would be necessary, but so far it has not been found possible to decide which of the two could best be spared. Some employers favour a change in the morning opening hours, together with a possible shortening of the Friday late night. An entirely different, and, from the employers’ point of view, more difficult situation, will be created if the employees succeed in their application to the Arbitration Court to have a 40hour week applied to retail shops.