FREEZING WORKERS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 52, Issue 249, 3 August 1932, Page 8

FREEZING WORKERS

WAGES AND CONDITIONS. CONCILIATION PROCEEDINGS. The Conciliation Council, presided over by Mr W. Newton, met in Wellington on Saturday to hear the dispute between the Wellington Meat export Company, Ltd., applicant, and the New Zealand Freezing Works and Related Trades Industrial Association of Workers and tlie Wellington Freezing Works' and Related Trades Employees’ Industrial Union of Workers, respondents. Some time was spent in checking over the parties cited, Mr Newton pointing out that while previously tlie Council had had no power to sign agreements, its decisions could now be binding on all parties, and it was therefore necessary that all intended parties must be definitely cited. It was clear that there had been no preliminary conference between the parties prior to drawing up the proposals. The wages offered by the employers showed a considerable reduction. The workers did not agree with tlie employers’ proposals, and filed the Northern', Taranaki, Wellington, Marlborough, Canterbury, .and Otago and Southland freezing works related trades employees’ award, with ..certain amendments, as a basis for counter proposals. The Wages Issue. The killing rates offered by the employers, with the northern award rates on which the employees’ proposals were based in parentheses., were: —Sheep not otherwise specified, £1 9s (£2) per 100; lambs not otherwise specified, £1 0s 6d (£1 17s 6d), ram lambs included in employers’ proposals; show sheep and lambs, £1 14s (£2 6s) ; sheep unshorn after November 30, rate and a half (double rates); dead sheep or lambs (each), 6d (Is 3’cl); all cattle other than hulls, etc. (each), 2s (2s 7d); bulls and stags (each), 2s 3d (3s Id); dead cattle (each) 5s (8s) ; calves (each), 3d to Is 6d (7d to Is lid) according to weight; pigs (each), Is Id to Is 4d (Is 4d to Is lid). Wages per hour offered by the employers were as follow, the rates claimed by the workers being shown in parentheses:— Slaughterhouse and Cooling Room Assistants. —Boners after first yeai 2s (second year boners 2s 2d); boners on piece work, beef, 5d (10c!); cooling floor hands, including gutmen, Is 9d (2s Id, gutmen on piece work 4s od per 100). . , Fellmongery. —Pullers, North Island 5s Gd per 100 (8s per 100) ; limers., Is 9d (2s I’d); pelt classers, Is lid (2s 33d); freezing chamber hands, Is lOd (2s 3d); preserving boners, 2s (2s 4|d); casing scrapers, 2s (2s 6d class The rates for boys offered were:— Under 16 years of age, 17s 6d (£1 10s) ; between 16 and 17, £l . os (£1 15s); between 17 and 18 £1 12s 6d (£2 ss); between 18 and 19, £2 os i£2 los) . iii The hearing of the dispute was held over till the results of the Dominion conference were known.