THE STRIKE AT PAREORA.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12731, 18 February 1907, Page 7

THE STRIKE AT PAREORA.

BUTCHERS ALSO DECLINE TO WORK. At tß»'Pareora Froesrag Works on Saturday morning tlie butchers joined the sla-ughtormen'a assistants in tlieir refusal to work. The position was made still worse by'the action of the butchers,' all of whom declined to start work, giving aa a mason that thero was not a fuU boa*d of slaughtermen's assistants. This, it is thought in some quartera, is merely an excuse, and not tbe real one, it being boliored that the butchers are as a matter of fact in sympathy with tuerir aaaistsmts who 1 havo struck. It ia said that over Kinoe the atrike among eiaughtermon in Wellington, there haa been djaoontent at tbe Paroora Freezing Worke, where the butchers receive. 2(*s per hundred. It ia noteworthy that the Wellington slaughterman are demand-1 ing 25a per hirodrodl. It waa iprophcaied that ttne **n«o would be at an end an Saturday morning; that wbat would prObaßiv happen would be that the leaders of the strike would clear out, and tfte rest turn to again. But this did not provo to be tho caee. The leader of tihe men on strike is a Ta«maniML, and most of the strikers are Austrqliane—men who ane 1 here fcvday and away to-morrow. / The Company advertised for meat to tako tbe place of those out on artrike, i and on Saturday morning there were t some offering, but hot tho full compie- - I ment. and the butchers said that bhev would not start unless a full boaid or 1 assistants waa procured. The men on strike bave been getting paid for overtime at the same rate as that at which tbev are paid d'nrmg the ordamwy working hours, namely 10|d per hour, but they demand twne and a half for overtime. That is t-> say they havo atmck in order to get an extra 6id per hour for nw*». Mr P. Keddie, Insprrter of Factories went out to tlie Pnreora Work* and endeavoured to persnade the men that they wonld bo acting in their own irrtereste if they roauiwd work on .nrdav morning, but the men, who Md appoint -three delegate; to reprint them, declined- and said thnt they would not start work %tn)*wM their demands w<*no eomiplifd with. Mr F. Wavroonth, managing director of the Company, was with Mr Keddie at the time. Mr Keddie read to the men the following telegram which he had received from the Labour Department in Wellington:— "Proceed at onoe to Pureora and endeavour to settle the difficulty. Point out to the men that th-ry are liable to prosecution for striking, whether mwonists or -not, as non-imieniMs are equally Informatics hare juat beesn laid against over 109 slaughtermen in Wellington for etri Icing. " Mr Keddie asked the men if they realised tbe seriousness of their action, and they replied they were fully aware of what they were doing, and intended to stand by tho action they had taken, caying that if tho positions wero reversed tho company would rot give in to the men, and they considered that tliey had an equal right to stick up for what they considered their .just dues. Tlie cost of living, they said, quit«

justified them In asking for tfco addk tional pay. Findingjthat pewuaiiioii would do do good, Mr Keddi* proceeded to take the names of all those who had gone out on eta-ike, with a> Tier t<o prosecution. l"ho men deuwd aMMt «hh phatically that "they bad atraok, saying ; that they were merely carnal labourer* who bad a to cay 'whan they would discontinue work, and to vtipn* late what/wages they would work for. Mr Keddie pointed out to them that they were working under an award which provides the following rate* of pny:—For men orer 21 years, IOJd per hour; 20 to 21, 7Jd; 19 to 21), «|<ll 18 to 19, 5d per hour; 17 to 18, 17b tki per week; 16 to 17, 15s; 15 to 16, 12e 6d per week. Their action, therefore, could be characterised as nothing ken than a strike, and if they did not re* sumo work they would be prosecuted. > In inflicting a penalty for striking, the Court has power to either imprison or fine the men. Non-unioniets a* well as unionists are liable to be punished' in this way for striking. The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act Amendment Act, 1906, aays that "Hie award shall extend to and bind every worker who is at any time, whilst it ia in force, employed by any employer on whom the award ia binding; end if eurh worker commite any broach of the award lie shall bo liable to a fine not exceeding ten pounds, to be recovered in like manner ax if he were a party to. tho award. The discontinuance of work by any worker ponding the final diepositioji of an industrial dispute shall b-j doomed to bt» a default under this section, unless <the party charged with such default shows the Court that such disoontitHianco wae not on account of the dispute." The amending Act make* it nn offence for any worker to " 'strike,' or to tako part in, or to propose, aid, or abet a irtrike, "or .» movement intended to produce a strike; though no worker snail be subject to a fine merely because he re> I'usea to work, or announce* hia inten» tion to rofuso to work, at ihe rato of wages fixed by any award or industrial agreement, unless the Court ie eatia- - fied thai such refusal «ac in pursuance of an intention to commit a breach of this BPetion." -The eootion only applies when there is an award or industrial agreement relit ing to the trad* in connoction with which the strike ha* occurred. . M The slaughtermen work under a effw ferent award from their assistants, and they are paid by the 100 r—Fr*es> era 20s, toners 16*, poitore 12* 6d: with 2e 6d extra for freeeers and la fld for others after 5 p.m.. and a bonua of , Is per day is added. * % In order to euard a poseibl* ; interference with the new hands offW : ing, Mr Keddie asked fiuWnspeWdr,' Green to send out a constable, aad' Constable Fitzgerald, of 6t- Andrews, wae on the scene on Saturday morning, but fortunately there was no 4ia> tnrbance. From what can be gathered it appen re that a strike haa been antlc>. pated for come days past, but ft Wai at the Smith field Works thai it was . expected, the Wellington atrik* hvrivk ' acted n apark to *the powder l« caused general discontent at different j frooting works in both ialftnde. It.lir said, however, that the idattgßUrroWri'. aesisitant* at RraifliCeid ara neariy all locnl men, with inter**** bar*, aad thai; thore aro not therefore ao .nMWJiPa, Btrike ie thoeo at Pareora, at* tho most part singlo men, with no tl*a , here, and who airoply jtto to j with the object of ee€Bne **aetW W little money, and then tratellinf *» m% fresh employment -in other parta Of t»a [T . colony and Aostralia. \i'* » The Arbitration Conrt PI»JJS*iVWI Timaru aa coon as it Da*<4M|MPMl(|i .J the Wellington trouble, 1)1$ winK strikers will be brought Jmwfr ft MMM show cauee for their oowMb. <m are to* be jgrcy«ntea_ jffoWt }*Y*£mNKM colony, ana it wae eeuaetae vßHbwWKnh in twoniy-four noma W™* JJJJSIPISii morning- the necessary wuffi ivfflMl'glMin taken to ensure their appa*|«l»j-|i#j| fore the .Court. \ MB WAYMOUTH DTTEBV IkWMpM Interyieirea, at J&ifofmkJfflfiß turn from . th* v Sffl Canter?l£f said, in reply V * raPli butcbew ' put ja*' ,- *! PiiiillPilg startmi:*^,:? *2&j»mUm that :Uiepe wa» 3M, *Ji MKmm aaeutanta, they aaio to atart.. that be wae "•Wβ coMMWMiJw AsMH»ffl full. .Act to tiiat, aSaM, jm^WfgRdHHHI as many <f' tnattl.aa h>. ywHEBWIMfI sktanto ior'.shoaM.atartt iliWllHw refuted to rt»ri W»» ■**S2El9Kra aa a body. •; .3Bf < wirawajMi £»<■■»■ that-itj». «rtite l*«#£Mammt would atalTv* aiwi uio msja . the place' of' tha/M^iii|'^^ffN^Hii^ out -on butchers who Wi#a **sJS"i2ae at tne eanie Jrpe aa !^ffi!^l^Bfij refused, and the po»w^frffi' J lifßfflMil works are. at a 8000 iheep .M* WWtief ***fj|iHffl^ INBTRUOTIOKS TO jWj)t!j|j||^K from the Hon. .J. A# for Labour, ap cannot -do more waa TJSEylflHi infonnatioM to h* »W those who have come case will be beard ftpoe «• of the Wellington W/ ,