CLERKS’ AWARD

Southland Times, Issue 23141, 6 March 1937, Page 7

CLERKS’ AWARD

Arbitration Court Hearing CLAUSES IN DISPUTE (United Press Association) DUNEDIN, March 5. The Arbitration Court was engaged today in hearing the Otago clerical workers’ dispute, the court being adjourned before the whole of the evidence had been heard. In connection with applications for exemption by law and accounting firms, the court said it would take time to consider its decision. Referring to the general dispute Mr Herbert, for the union, stated that a substantial agreement had been arrived at in the Conciliation Council, on most of the points involved, along the lines of the award given by the court in Wellington. The clauses in dispute were those relating to Anniversary Day, the holiday claim for two days off duty to newspaper clerks who had to work on a. statutory holiday and the scope of the award. Mr Herbert submitted that there should be no argument necessary for the court to include Anniversary Day as it had given this holiday in the Wellington award. About the second matter in dispute he contended that newspaper clerks were called upon to work on statutory holidays when most other workers were free. For this convenience to the employers these workers should be recompensed with additional time off, which would be more than ordinary time. Dealing with the scope of the award, Mr Herbert said that in the Conciliation Council the employers, although not opposing the scope asked for by _ the union, refused to take the responsibility of agreeing to the union’s claims in the matter. In the Otago district there were no towns of any size outside of Oamaru and, as the union had members in all districts in Otago, he urged that the court should fix the scope of the award to cover the whole of the Otago district.

Mr Cookson, for the employers, said that the reason for contending the application for the Anniversary Day holiday was that Anniversary Day was not observed generally as a holiday in Otago. Factories did not close but offices did. The holiday would still be observed in the latter case.

With regard to newspaper clerks Mr Cookson submitted that one day off was sufficient for work done on any one statutory holiday. The employers asked that the award should apply only to within a 12-mile radius of Dunedin and not the whole of the Otago district because the union was not familiar with the position ruling in other parts of the district other than Dunedin. The court then adjourned until Monday. ____________