SHOP ASSISTANTS’ WAGES

Taranaki Daily News, 29 August 1930, Page 11

SHOP ASSISTANTS’ WAGES

APPLICATION FOR NEW AWARD. INCREASE IN WAGES INVOLVED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Arbitration Court to-day heard an application by the New Zealand Federated Shop Assistants’ Association for a new award, including increases in wages. Messrs. A. W. Croskery (Wellington}, W. Batchelor (Dunedin) and P. Salmon (Wellington) appeared for the employees and Mr. T. O. Bishop for the employers. - The union claimed, inter alia, that the minimum rate of wages payable to shop assistants should be: Branch manager or manageress with no, assistants under them, £7; in control of one assistant, £7 10s; with two assistants, £8; three assistants, £8 10s; departmental manager or manageress with no assistants, £6 10s; one assistant, two assistants, £7 10s; three or more assistants, £8; floor superintendent, £8 10s; window dresser, £6 10s; travellers, £6 10s; head storeman or packer or only storemen or packer, £O. Mr. Croskery said the parties at the Conciliation Council agreed to a number of clauses under the heading "Classification of Workers.” The union had had innumerable requests from those holding those positions that Hie Court should consider the fixing of a minimum wage for their employment. Mr. Croskery outlined at length the claims of the union and quoted the higher wages in Australia. The union claimed a 44-hour week and asked the Court to place these workers on the same footing with respect to hours as all other trades. A request was made for the abolition of the late night.

The evidence of several witnesses was taken in support of the claims of the union.

For the employers Mr. Bishop said that while the union proposed substantial increases in wages all round the employers sought an alteration to the schedule, which would mean increasing some rates while decreasing others. The most important thing the employers wanted was an alteration in the scale for employees entering the trade at 18 years of age and over. The proposals they put forward had been accepted by agreement and were embodied in the present awards for Canterbury and Hawke’s Bay. The employers asked for these proposals in the present application because they desired to secure in the trade the services of assistants who had had ’(secondary school education. Boys and girls of 18 years and over could not secure employment under the present scale; neither could adults without previous experience. It was in the interests of employment in these days of unemployment to remove the disabilities. The proposal to pay boys of 18 a starting wage of 27s 6d, rising to 82s 6d after four years, boys of 19 for the first year 355, rising to 82s 6d after three years and boys of 20 for the first year 42s 6d, rising to 70s after two years surely could not be held to be unreasonable, since the employment involved, the teaching of the trade. The effect in a very few years would be seen in a more efficient class of .sales assistant. When the award was made the cost of living above that of July, 1914, was 61 per cent., and it was now 58 per cent., so that workers had benefited in real wages in proportion to that fall in prices. Mr. Bishop dealt with other claims of the union and called evidence in support. Tho proceedings were adjourned until to-morrow morning.