SHEARERS' DISPUTE

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 47, 24 August 1917, Page 2

SHEARERS' DISPUTE

AGREEMENT MADE.

The Conciliation Council, dealing with the shearers' and shed-hands' dispute, continued its sittings after The Post went to press yesterday, Mr. W. H. Hagger (Conciliation Commissioner) presiding. The employers offered an increase of 2s 1 6d per hundred to shearers, with a bonus of ss, and to shed-hands, cooks, and pressers, 5s per week, and 10s bonus.

After consideration of the offer, Mr. Graymdler intimated, on behalf of the union, that they would accept the following:—Shearers, 22s 6d, and 5s bonus; pressers and Tollers, £2 ss, and 10s bonus; other shed-hands, £2, and 10s bonus; cooks, £3, and 103 bonus.

There .was further discussion,' and 1 ultimately the following wages were accepted, tiie present award rates being given in parentheses: Shearers, 22s 6d per hundred, and 5s bonus (20s per hundred) ; prmscia and rollers, £2 2s 6d per week, and 10s bonus, or Is 3d an hour, and 3d bonus (£1 15s per week, or Is 2d an hour); all other shed-hands, £2 ger -week, and 10s bonus, or Is 2d au aur, and 3d 'bonus (£1 12s 6d per -week, or Is Id an hour); cooks, £3 per week, and 10s bonus (£2 per weels); cooks' assistants, £2 per week, and 10s bonus (£1 12s 6d per week). The increase in shearing ral;es where shearers find themselves in rations was made 4s per hundred, instead of 3s.

All the conditions of the old award were embodied in the now agreement, which/it'was decided, should come into operation on Ist September,. 1917, and continue until 28th February, 1919. A motion was carried requesting the Arbitration. Court to adopt this agreement as an award throughout the Do 1 minion wherever disputes have been filed.