THRESHING MILLS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 14, 27 October 1932, Page 5

THRESHING MILLS.

PAY ANfcJ HOURS OF WORK. . CONCILIATION COUNCIL SITS. (Special to the “Guardian.”) TIMARU, October 26. Hours of work and rates- of wages were the principal points in dispute between the South Canterbury Threshing Millowners and the Waimate Industrial Union of Workers, at a sitting of the Conciliation Council in Timaru to-day. The Conciliation Commissioner (Mr S. Ritchie) presided. The conditions submitted by the employers stipulated that the hours of work should be left to the discretion of the employers. The clause covering rates of wages stated: “All hands except the driver, feeder, and cook shall be paid Is 6d an hour, the time to commence from when the mill reaches the first set to he threshed, and shall continue during all hours worked, including shifting-time from set to set until the finish of the last set on each farm. Fifteen minutes in the morning and fifteen minutes in the afternoon shall be allowed for lunch, but such time shall not be paid for, and does not include any time that the mill may be stopped exceeding ten minutes allowed for repairs or any other unavoidable cause, or any time occupied in shifting from farm to farm. If the public road is used to expedite shifting between paddocks or farms immediately opposite one another, and the property of one owner, such time shall be paid for. The cook shall be paid £3 a week, and the feeder Is lid an hour. Reasonable time up to one hoxir shall he allowed for dinner, and such time shall not be paid for.”

Workers’ Claims. The workers claimed that the hours of work should be between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m., except on Saturdays, when the hours should be between 6 a.m. and 7.30 p.m. Fifteen minutes extra should he allowed in which to finish a set. The counter-claim relating to wages read: —“(a) All hands except the driver, feeder, and cook shall be paid Is lOd an hour and found, the time to commence from when the mill enters on the farm upon which the crop is to he threshed, and shall continue during all hours worked, including shifting-time from set to set, until the finish of the last set on each farm. Twenty minutes in the morning and twenty minutes in the afternoon shall he allowed for lunch and paid for, but does not include any! time that the’ mill may be stopped exceeding ten minutes allowed for repairs or any other unavoidable cause, or any time occupied in shifting from farm to farm., If the public road is used to expedite shifting between paddocks or farm's immediately opposite one another, and the property of one owner, such time shall be paid for. The cook shall be paid £5 10s a week, and the feeder 2s 6d an hour, (b) Reasonable time up to one hour shall be allowed for dinner, and such time shall not be paid for.”

Tin Millcwners. Objection to tin millowners being cited as parties to the dispute was raised by Messrs R. Orwin and Ltiailes, who attended the proceedings, representing this section of employers. They contended that the case had t been started by the South Canterbury threshing millowners without consulting the tin millowners who were not members of the Association and were given the opportunity of nominating an assessor. Mr It. S. Goodman announced that one of the Association’s assessors was willing to stand down in favour of a nominee of the tin millowners, After discussion the Commissioner declined to grant exemption to the tin millowners whose representatives then withdrew from the proceedings. The claims of both parties were discussed at length, the employers’ assessors finally announcing their willingness to increase the rates of pay to Is 9d an hour on condition the workers paid for their food, instead gf-Tts being supplied by the employers as in the past. The proceedings were adjourned until November 14, to enable the employers to submit an offer on these lines to the Union.