SHOP ASSISTANTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12718, 13 August 1919, Page 6

SHOP ASSISTANTS.

CONFERENCE WITH MEMBERS. There was a good attendance in the lecture room at the Y.AI-C.A. last evening, when a meeting of shop and office assistants was held to place before local members of Parliament various amendments desired in the Shops and Offices Aet. Air P. S. Ramsay occupied the chair and there were present—Alessrs L. AT- Isitt, G- Witty, H. G. Ell and Dr Thacker. Al.P.’s. Apologies were read for tho absence of Air- G W Forbes, M.P., and the Hon D. Buddo', M. Air Afartin, the secretary, stated that the meeting was a part of a Dominion campaign for the amendment of the Shops and Shop Assistants Act. It was contended that the whole of the workers had the right to the one half-holi-day. and that there should be no exemptions. From one end of Now Zealand to the other tho shop assistants were getting very impatient with the Government ns to an amendment of the Act in regard to late hours and other conditions. Mr Alartin said that they asked for a forty and a half hours’ •week, overtime before 8 a.m. and after 6.30 p-m., no assistant to work after noon on Saturdays, that it should be compulsory for every assistant to hare a half-holiday notwithstanding that there is another holiday in the same week, and that tho provision that an employee drawing £.3 T7s 6cl a week should not he entitled to overtime should he repealed. Another direction m which amendment was sought concerned the employment of chemists’ assitants on Saturday nights and Sundays. Mr Isitt said he thought it would he advisable that the questions stated should he considered at a round-the-tablo conference, when the various clauses , could be thoroughly threshed out. Dr Thacker supported this propositiqn, and stated Ins entire agreement with the objectives placed before tho meeting. * The meeting then went in committee to consider the proposed legislative amendments.