SHED HANDS DEMANDS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 169, 22 August 1914, Page 2

SHED HANDS DEMANDS.

CONCILIATION COUNCIL. A sitting of the Conciliation Council was held on Tuesday at Blenheim, before the Conciliation Commissioner (Mr P. Hally)> the parties appearing being the Marlborough Sheep Owners' Union and -the Marlborough Shear.ers' Union. Messrs H. D. Vavasour and C. de Y. Tescliemaker-Shute appeared, as assessors for the Marlborough Sheep Owners' Union, and Mr F. H. Labatt as representativ-e of the New Zealand Sheep Owners' and Farmers' Federation. Messrs J. Tow r nsend, W. M'Lennan, and A. Watson appeared as assessors for the Shearers' Union. The matter in dispute was the shed hands' demands, made by the Shearers' Union, to take the place of the'present award, which expired on January 31 last. Mr Townsend said that the shed employees were prepared to put aside the present demands, and also the counterproposals of the employers, until the first sitting of the Arbitration Court in Wellington after March next, and suggested that in the meantime both parties draw up a provisional agreement for the coming season. The Shearers' Union was prepared to accept the old award, with the exception of wages, leaving it open to the employers to make an offer without prejudice. His reason for such an offer was due to unusual circumstances brought about by the war. ...

Mr Vavasour said, that the sheep owners were not prepared to accept the employees' proposals for the coming season. He was not prepared to agree to any increase in the present awai"d rates, but would be willing " that the question of wages should be settled by the Court at a later date. The Marlborough Sheep' Owners' Union was prepared to come to a;n agreement oh the lines lie had, indicated for next shearing season. On behalf ,of the New Zealand Sheep Owners' Federation, Mr Labatt said that the demands of the shed hands had been fully eonsiderfed 'Jjy- the. : .yati-' ous sheep owners' unions, aikl the decision arrived.'af that the employera could not agree to- the. ' demands, whi« h > 'indicated a very substantial in-, crease*-Jover' tliie iaward rates* He supported Mr Vavasour's- suggestion, i.::

The ! Commissioner - remarked that there appeared,' to be no ; possibility of the parties mutually ; agreeing at ; present on/the Question of . wages. ;He suggested that both parties should endeavour to eome to some arrangement for next shearing season. After further discussion, it was agreed that" the matter in dispute stand iover -till March,! 1915, and provided the parties are unable to agree to the matters • in, :disput.e • before that , date,, the dispute shall be referred-to . the: Court; It was suggested by -both sides that in the event of no agreement being arrived at,-the Court should ,be asked to hear the case, in Wellington, and that the award made should be .a Dominion award.