CONCILIATION COUNCIL

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16359, 2 November 1918, Page 11

CONCILIATION COUNCIL

' —: ♦- — : THRESHING MILL DISPUTE. A sitting of the Conciliation Council was held yesterday, before Mr VT. H. Hugger, the Commissioner, to consider Hie dispute between the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Workers' Union and the North Canterbury Threshmg'Mlll Owners' Association. The assessors for the employers were Messrs J. W. Oliver, F. Lill, and G. Sheat, and lor the union Messrs P. Leahy, C. E. Baldwin, and J. P. Bashford. Mr G, was I also present. The main union demands were:—Hours of work: ■ between 6 a.m. and. 8 p.m., except on Saturday, when the hours of work should be between 6 a.m. and 7.30 p.m., Number of; hands to bo employed: (a) In,,the bag hole, three; (b) on the sheaf stack, three; (c) turn-! ing to the band cutter on mills with patent band-cutter,- one; on mills not having patent j band-cutter, a band-cutter be employ- j ed in addition ,to the man turning to tlio ] board; (d) on mills not having a patent cutter attached, then in addition to the bandcuttcr. there should be one man employed to feed the mill; (e) on mills where no patent chaffer is attached, there should be one man employed to take away the chaff; (f) one man should be employed oh the straw, his duty being to clear the straw from the elevators; (g) there should be one man employed on the water cart. The minimum wages asked for were Is 9d per hour .and found for all hands with the exception of the engine-driver; 2s 3d per hour and found for the feeder for all time engaged on mill or engine. No provision ■was made for contract work. "With regard to the food sopply it was demanded that rations were to be provided by the employer. It - wits £130 demanded that the men should bo paid for all time shifting the mill from farm to'.farm, stack to stack, or place, to place when ihrc3hing out of the stook. The employers' counter-proposals were practically the old award. A good deal of discussion look place on the demands, but uo agreement wu arrived at and no recommendations made. The whole dispute will go to the Arbitration Court.