FREEZING WORKS UNION.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 250, 21 October 1919, Page 5

FREEZING WORKS UNION.

NEW AWARD SOUGHT. INCREASE IN WAGES. An application for a new award vu made at the Arbitration Court, over which his Honor Mr. Justice Stringer presided, this morning by the Auckland Abattoir Assistants and Freezing Works Employees' Union, an increase in wages being asked for. Mr. Wright appeared for the employers, and Mr. W. E. Sill for the union. The union asks that the workere shall be paid not less than the following rates: Boners, 2/3 per hour; preservers supervising pans and retorts, 2/ per hour; tinsmiths, 1/9* 'per hour; other workers ia connection with the industry, 1/9 per hour. It was atked that youths under sixteen be paid not less than £15/ per week; youths from 16 to 17 years, £1 10/ per week; from 17 to 18 years, £1 15/ per week; from 18 to 19 years, £2; and from 19 to 20 years, £2 10/. Mr. Sill said the industry might be termed a national one. The application was based on an agreement arrived at between a conference of both sides in Wellington last April. Two finn 3 were already paying these rates. He submitted that the onus was on the employers to show why they should not be placed on the same footing as employers in other o r n*"Ps. Mr. Wright said they were applying ifor two companies to be struck out, nuuiuiy vie <. co>uc.d ireezing ocWipany ■and the Whangarei Freezing Company, because there was already a Dominion agreement in existence, the terms of which they were willing to be bound by. With regard to these two companies they were working under the agreement and were quite willing to sign it at any 1 time, but for some reason the Auckland ■t#--• •'• -, "•■ v.4."-v-*-;ig companies, Messrs. 11. and W. Hellaby, were city works, and worked during the j , whole year, whereas the two freezing companies mentioned only worked dur- [ ing the season. ; F. Tollerton, acting manager of the Westfield Freezing Company, and representing also the Whangarei Freezing 5 Company, said all their employees -were : covered by the Dominion agreement, ar--1 rived at at the Wellington conference. J His Honor said it seemed difficult to 1 know what was the dispute, unless it was in regard to the tinsmiths. Mr. Wright said they objected to th* j rate of 1/9J for tinsmiths, ac they held ' that these men were not tinsmiths, but *■ cannister makers. ' Evidence was given by Samuel Wingfc 1 manager for R. and W. Hellaby, lAd, i to show that the men classified as tin* • emiths were merely makers of the coa» tii intra for the meat. Theee container* fc were cut by machinery and were soldered 1 by the men who filled them. Mr. Sill submitted that the two free* 3 ing companies ' were working on exactly 7 the same lines aa other companies. s HU Honor: Why did the union object '• to signing the agreement? t Mr. Sill said there was a hitch at first, '- and as the end of the season was ap» U proaching there was no great hurry. They had since notified that they wer» 8 willing to aign. >s The Court reserved its decision. rS -