WORK CONDITIONS ON FARMS

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21858, 11 August 1936, Page 16

WORK CONDITIONS ON FARMS

MINISTER TO INTRODUCE LEGISLATION

PROVISIONS A CLOSELY KEPT SECRET Regulation of rates of wages and working conditions for employees on, dairy farms will be brought about in new legislation which will be introduced by the Minister for Labour (the H6n. H. T. Armstrong) after the passing of the Mortgage Adjustment Bill. Commenting on the position yesterday, Mr Armstrong indicated that the bill would make provision for annual holidays for farm workers. The legislation would be based on an agreement recently concluded between the Minister and a small committee of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, and would be confined to the scope of the agreement. It was expected that other farm workers would later be brought under the legislation. Details of the agreement between the Minister and the Farmers’ Union are at present being kept a close secret. Farmers themselves are awaiting the introduction of the bill with interest. Mr H. G. Lyttle, secretary of the North Canterbury provincial district of the Farmers’ Union, stated yesterday that officials of the union were as much in the dark as the general public. We have heard nothing beyond an assurance that the details will be acceptable to us,” he added.