TINNED MEAT TRADE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 64, 15 March 1916, Page 6

TINNED MEAT TRADE.

NEW AWARD ASKED FOR. HIGHER RATES OF PAY. The Arbitration Court was occupied this morning with the hearing of nn application for a new award by the Auckland Butchers Meat Preservers' and Bacon C'urers' I'nion on behalf of workers engaged in the meat preserving trade, ilr. W. E. Sill appeared for the union, and Mr. S. E. Wright for the . employers, who comprised the Auckland , Meat Company, the Westliclil nnd Whangarei Freezing Companies, Messrs. R. ; and W. Hcilaby, Ltd., nnd Messrs. Eraser and Richardson. Whangarei. The matters left unsettled by the Conciliation Council included wages. 1 hours of work, holidays, and preference The rates of pay asked for by the union ; were ns follow:—Preservers. C 4 week; 1 boners, 1/fl an hour; tinsmiths, 1/3; ■ other workers. 1/4: youths, .£1 to £2 ; a week, according to age. A 48-hour J week was asked for, -with overtime at the rate of time ami a-lialf. and extra ' holidays 011 January 2 and 2!) and Boxing Day. A suggested clause referred to the provision of proper washing and dressing accommodation. In the course of his argument on behalf of the union. Mr. Sill stated that meat prrsprvcrs' work was carried out under unpleasant conditions, in a hot ! mid steamy atmosphere, and upon wet floors. In Auckland the wages paid were lower than anywhere else in the Dominion, and the hours, in some instances, were unsatisfactory. Boners, for instance, had to leave home at 5 a.m. in order to get to their work in time, and sometimes were eleven hours absent from home at a stretch. He pointed out that the industry in Auck- , land was a very prosperous one, and, on • the basis of the wages paid by southern 1 meat companies, must be paying very handsome dividends at the workers' expense. It was estimated that the increases asked lor by the union would mean the addition of not more than 2£d to the cost of producing a dozen this of meat of whatever size. If it were necessary to ''pass on" the increased production, this could be done ■ cither backwards to the meat producer or forward to the consumer. If the latter course were taken no hardship would be inflicted on the community, and the cost of living would not be , affected, because the output of tinned meat in the main was not for local consumption. A number of witnesses were called to give evidence' as to conditions in t*ic tmde. One 6tated that he had left it because he was refused a man's wages, although he was doing a full man's work. A. Rowlands, general manager of the Whangarei Freezing Company, called by Mr. Wright, stated that meat preserving was in a peculiar condition at present. Meat of boning quality was fetching such high prices at Home that a great deal was shipped in quarters, and not boned. A recent cable from London had advised 'his firm to restrict the output of tinned meat, owing to prevailing conditions. Of late the meat tinned had been of lower grade, and the higher grade meat had been .hipped otherwise in order to maintain the general standard. Another difficulty was the supply of tin-plate, which was not now procurable in England, owing to the assumption of control over the factories by the Government. Freights had gone up nearly 50 per cent since the • war, and dates of shipment were uncertain. At present his firm had a two months' stock of tinned meat at Whangarei, and no one could say when it would be ship--1 ped. This, he thought, was sufficient to show that conditions in general were not as good a« the union wished to imply. The hearing is proceeding.