THE SLAUGHTERMEN'S STRIKE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 66, 18 March 1907, Page 5

THE SLAUGHTERMEN'S STRIKE.

STRIKE FINALLY CLOSED,

(By Teregrapli.—Press Association.^

CHRISTCHURCH, this day. The slaughtermen's strike is finally closed, and all the strikers resumed work to-day. Not many of the men who took the strikers' places rolled up. All hands are in the best of spirits. The fines will all be paid in cases of men being short of cash at f 1 per week. Work is now proceeding with great energy to make up for heavy leeway. ASHBURTON, this day. This morning 40 slaughtermen resumed work, also seven temporary hands, at Fairfteld. There were 200 freezing sheep to deal with.

HITCH AT PAREORA.

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) TEVIARU, this day. The slaughtermen at the Pareora freezing works this morning refused to start work unless clause 5 of the agreement just arrived at is altered. This clause provides for the imposition of fines for damage caused by butchers to carcases or skins, and they object. This company was given to understand by the butchers on Saturday that 30 men would be prepared to start work this morning, and no notice to the contrary was given until starting time came this morning, when they sent a delegate to say they would not start unless clause 5 were deleted. Freezing sheep have been sent to the works for slaughter this week, and the action of the butchers will cause great inconvenience and loss. Butchers at the Smithful works resumed work this morning, and everything is going smoothly there.

THE NEW AGREEMENT.

STATEMENT BY THE UNION PRESIDENT. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, Saturday. The president of the Slaughtermen's Union, Mr J. B. Pope, referring in detail to the new conditions agreed upon, said as regards clause 1, that the men insisted at first on strict 5 o'clock closing, but the employers pointed out that a mob might come in later which it was important should be dealt with at once, and it -was agreed that in sueb. cases not over three sheep or lambs per maji might be slaughtered after that time. The men had also obtained, -with a slight provision, the weekly halfholiday they had always wajited. As regards clause 2 there was an increase of 5/6 per 100 on the rate for "potters," of 5/- for "preservers," and 3/- for "freezers." For shop sheep killed by piece-work, for which .the future rate will be 25/- per 100. ttfe men never, previously received, according to Mr Pope, more than 20s. There is also an increase of a penny per head on rams. Clause 3 was agreed to without discussion. In clause 4 ''gambrels" were the necessary articles for nanging up the sheep. Running about for these and tegs used to consume the time allowed for "smoke oh." As regards clause 5 the men had desired to abolish all fines, as they considered that they had sometimes been fined for cuts which were unavoidable by any care. He considered that the warning provided for was intended more especially for men who were new to the yard, to prevent them being fined for a mistake, or for doing something that they did not know was wrong. Concerning clause 6Mr Pope stated that the companies wanted the men to wait for 30 minutes in the event of there being no sheep left, and be paid a shilling. The men suggested 15 minutes, and the companies then proposed that payment should be fixed at 1/3, which, was agreed to. The men's first demand was for ,1/6 per hour. Clauses 7 and 8, it was stated, were new concessions. The holidays were the same as those previously given with the addition of picnic day. The fact that picnic day was previously not a holiday, had been the cause of trouble at Islington this year, as the result of which, the former president of the union had resigned- Condition 10.' Mr Pope explained, referred more particularly to the AshbuTton workers. Condition 11, was one proposed by the companies, to which the union delegates had most heartily agreed. In addition to these concessions the slaughtermen had asked that each man should be provided with a dressingroom, and that only two men should be allowed to work in each pen, each man to be provided with a door. This would diminish the risk of cuts. The companies had promised to do their best to have these matters seen to between now and the coining season. Previously, at some of the works, four men had been employed in a single pen, when they were very liable to wound each, other accidentally with their kniv«s.

In the course of an interview this morning, Mr Pope said that all hands were very glad indeed that the culty had been ended. "We are all going back to work with a good heart," he said. "We hope that all ill-feeling in the matteT is buried, and we expect to have a really busy time catching up with the work. The men are satisfied with the concessions that the companies have made, and are heartily glad to start again. I saw the representative of the meat companies this morning, and confirmed the understanding of yesterday, that all the men who struck are to be taken back if they so desire. There should be about three months' steady killing in front of us, so that we shall get the benefit of the increased rates."

The men as a body, are either paying their fines, or making arrangements with the Labour Department for payment by instalments. The Department is allowing those who are not able to pay at once to pay at the rate of £1 per week, and as they are to start work again on Monday., this involves no hardship. The proceedings in the Court this morning, and the clear statement ssade by the judge as to the eireeSveness of the penal clauses of the Act, have removed any lingering suspicion that payment could be avoided.

A BUSY TIME AHEAD.

CHRISTCHUBCH, Saturday.

Now that the strike has ended, very large quantities of stock -will, from Monday onwards, be forwarded to the Belfast and Islington Freezing Works, and the factories will be kept very busy for some time to come. The Canterbury Frozen Meat Company, the proprietors of the Belfast works, have been, advised that 50,000 sheep wity be delivered at the works almost inaaer