BUTCHERS' WAGES

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20988, 17 October 1933, Page 13

BUTCHERS' WAGES

CONCILIATION COUNCIL SITTING A FURTHER ADJOURNMENT The hearing of the adjourned dispute between the Chrislchurch Operative Butchers' Industrial Union of Workers and the Canterbury Butchers' Industrial Union of Employers was continued before the Conciliation Commissioner (Mr S. Ritchie) yesterday. Wages were the main point in dispute, but after several proposals had been discussed, and a motion to refer the case to the Arbitration Court had been defeated, the council adjourned until October 30. At a previous hearing both parties agreed to a 48-hour week. The employers offered time and a half for overtime as against the claim of the employees for time and a half for the first four hours and double time thereafter. „ , The assessors were:—Employers: Messrs F. Meakin, C. Welsford, J. ft. Shaw, and A. E. Sharman, with Mr D. 1. Macdonald as agent; employees: jvlessrs A. W. Croskery, G. W. Robertson, F. Agar, and W. C. Kcenan.

The Waffcs Offered. The employers offered the following wago-scalc: —First shopman, £4 15s a week; first, small goods man, £4 15s: and all other workers over the ago of 23, £4 a week. Boys and youths up to' 23 to be paid from 15s to 65s on a graduated scale. In counter-proposals the employees asked for £5 17s 6d for the first shopman in charge; £5 5s for the second shopman; £5 5s for all slaughtermen; and £4 16s for all other adult workers. Wages for vouths were to range from £1 10s to £3 for-the ages from 10 to 22 At vesterdav morning's sitting the union'applied to have the counter-pro-posals tiled treated as a cross-citation, and this was agreed to by the emplovers' assessors. Mr Welsford submitted that the counter-proposal would not succeed in its purpose of protecting the youth of n Tt would mean that youths cornink to that age would be dismissed because they were not worth the increase in salary,' which was out of proportion to the increase in age and discretion. Mr Croskery said that the clause was meant for competent men. Mr Macdonald said that he would like to see Mr Croskery run a shop with assistants of 21. An Amended Scale.

Defining his views in the dispute, Mr Croskerv said that while the employees' assessors understood the position of the industry and would like to come to an agreement, they could not deviate from the rates agreed to at Wellington. An award was necessary to protect the industry from "undesirables'' and from auction markets. The legitimate men engaged in the industry had to be protected from those who drifted into it. To reach an agreement, he said, the union was prepared to amend the counter-proposals to bring the rates into line with those existing under the award. This allowed for £5 :-is (id tor the first shopman or man in charge; £4 13s 6d for second shopman: £4 13s 6d for slaughterman, and SI 4 fi : ; for nil other adult workers.

For youths the scale would be: Under 16, 15s: from 16 to 17, £1; which were the same rates as the employers proposed; from 17 to 18, 30s; from 18 to 19, £2; from 19 to 21, £2 14s. After a retirement the employee assessors stated that they were prepared to increase their previous wages offer to the following scale-Fust shopman, £4 17s 6d; first small goods man, £4 17s 6d; all other workers oyer the age of 22, £4 2s 6d; and youths mideAe. IS S ; from 16 to 17 20s;; from 17 to 18, 255; from 18 to 19 32s 6d. from ID to 20, £2; from 20 to 21, £- 15s; and from 21 to 22 £3 10. At the afternoon sittmfi Mr Ci oakery stated that the employees were unable to accept this amended scale and reiterated his former statement that the Wellington conditions coula j not be departed from. j Mr Crsoskery then moved that tie council should refer the dispute to the Arbitration Court, but this motion was | de MrM d eakin then moved, seconded by j Mr Croskery, that the council Jog ; I adjourn until October 30. and tm_, imotion was carried. ;