FREEZING WORKS DISPUTE.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 292, 7 December 1920, Page 8

FREEZING WORKS DISPUTE.

COMPANY'S OFFER REJECTED. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.! WELLINGTON, Monday. No further progress has been made in settling the labour dispute in the freezing industry. A representative of the companies to-day stated that the companies' offer of a 20 per cent increase on piecework rates and 22J per cent on time rates had not been favourably entertained by the men.

"I consider," lie said, "that the offer which we made before the announcement, of the 9/ bonus was a very reasonable one when compared with similar increases in other industries. With the addition of the bonus offered the award rates for our men will be increased as follows: — Piece-work: Slaughtering sheep per 100, from £L 15/ to £2 2/; lambs, from £1 12/6 to £1 19/; cattle, from 2/:t each to 2/8.4; skin puller, 6/10* per 100 skins to 8/3.

'"The lowest paid time-work rate under the award is 1/!) per hour, and thia with the bonus would be increased to 2/1.725, making 17/1.8 per day of eight hours. It should be noted that the bonus applies to all overtime work, differing in this respect frofn any bonus awarded by the Court of Arbitration, which bases its awards on a flat rate per week. This appears to mc to be considerably in the workers' favour, as overtime is exteneively worked during the season."