TAILORING EMPLOYEES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 191, 14 August 1931, Page 12

TAILORING EMPLOYEES

RECENT WAGE REDUCTION UNIONS SEEK EXEMPTION Two workers’ organisations, the Auckland Tailors’ Union and the Cutters’ and Pressers’ Union, made application to the Arbitration Court for exemption from the 10 per cent, cut in wages. The grounds on which the appeal was based were the broken nature of employment in recent months and a claim that the workers under the award had not received the benefits of the Court’s pronouncement made in 1925, whereby the rates of pay in general were raised 60 per ; cent, above the 1914 levels. ■ Mr W. S. Moxsom appeared for the unions and Mr S. E. Wright, secretary of the Auckland Employers’ Association, for the employers. Addressing the Court, Mr Moxsom dwelt at length on the question of piecework and reduced earnings, to gether with the question of unemployment in th# clothing and tailoring industry. Replying, Mr Wright contended that wages had been advanced practicallx to the 60 per cent, mentioned, al though, in fact, not quite to that level. That was the position in the clothing ' trade. Under the award governing shop tailors weekly wages, both fo r tailors and pressers, had risen by 62} per cent. He added that the Court had already ruled that increased casualness of work xvas not relevant to an application for exemption. After hearing evidence, the Court reserved judgment.