DAIRY FACTORY DISPUTE

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 25061, 18 December 1946, Page 8

DAIRY FACTORY DISPUTE

DEMANDS MADE BY WORKERS

POSITION OUTLINED BY EMPLOYERS (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 17. The secretary of the New Zealand Employers* Federation (Mr C. G. Camp) said to-day. on behalf of the federation and of the executive of the New Zealand Dairy Factories Industrial Association of Employers, that the dispute between the employers and the workers was before a conciliation council in August last, and was adjourned by agreement until Cctober. Because of the workers’ stated inability to attend the Conciliation Council on the agreed date, the Conciliation Commissioner ordered a further adjournment. The employers then endeavoured to have a date set down for the third week in November, before the elections, and instructed their assessors to attend. This again was not acceptable to the workers, who then requested that the council should resume some time during the first week in DecemToer. The employer’s advocate made it very clear to the commissioner, and to the representatives of the union, that because of other important fixtures it was not possible to arrange a meeting in December, and suggested a date as soon as practicable after the holiday period. By agreement with the union, February 18. 1947, was pencilled in by the Conciliation Commissioner.

On Saturday morning last a telefihoned communication as outlined beow was received by the advocate. The workers demanded:— (1) The immediate resumption of the Conciliation Council to obtain a settlement for the season’s conditions. (2) The base wage to be £6. (3) The new rates to be retrospective to August 8, 1946. (4) Increased penalty payments for Sundays and overtime.

(5) The deadline for a settlement to be Wednesday night, December 18, 1946

Telegram to Union On Monday the following telegram was forwarded to the secretary of the union: “Have referred your telephone communication of Saturday to the president and vice-president of the New Zealand Dairy Factory Employers’ Association, who are in Wellington. The employers’ assessors are willing, as they always have been, to meet the employees’ assessors in Conciliation Council at the earliest date suitable to the commissioner, yourself and myself, and to settle your union’s lawful claims in the manner prescribed by the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. What has now been done will make this most difficult, but having in mind the possibility of a misunderstanding arising from the telephone communication, and the grave possibilities of the situation which has been created, suggest that your telephone communication be submitted in writing. To save time this could be done by urgent telegram today.”

‘ Later on Monday.” said Mr Camp, “a representative *of the Government officially advised the office of the New Zealand Employers’ Federation that modification order, serial No. 2/1936, had been revoked in so far as it provided that dairy factories, including creameries, would be exempt from sections 4. 14. and 15 of the Factories Ambendment Act, 1936. Those sections provide for special provisions in respect of dairy factories, the rates of wages payable for holidays, and the rates of wages payable on Sundays, and in lieu thereof provides that workers employed on holidays or Sundays shall be paid half-rates in addition to their ordinary rate of pay. This means that although the dairy industry is a seven-day industry, workers employed on Sundays and holidays, notwithstanding the hours of employment, come within the ordinary 40-hour working week, and shall be • paid double time for all time worked up to eight hours on any one of the days mentioned. “This action of the Government concedes one of the most important demands made by the workers. Demands Received “No further communicatipn was received from the union until after the hour of noon to-day, when demands as outlined below were received by the New Zealand Employers’ Federation: ‘Your telegram received, and we hereby state the main claims thal now ii« dispute: “*(1) All retrospective payments to August 8, 1946. “*(2) £6 per week for general hands, all others in proportion and the two Court orders in addition “ ‘(3) Overtime, double time after four hours. “‘(4) Clock hours, except where shifts are worked. Shift workers to receive 3s per shift. ‘“(5) Continuous hours of work except for smokos and meal times. “‘(6) Classification of all cheese and all butter factories: (a) the cheesemanning scale to be on the basis of one man to a number of cheese; (b) classification in butter factories such as vacreator, or pasteuriser, churnmen, etc.; (c) whey butter workers. Where whey butter is made the whey butter maker is to be employed at a prescribed rate (n.b.. to apply to cheese factories only). “ ‘(7) Pay analysis statement for each worker when receiving payment for wages. “‘(8) Overalls and footwear to be supplied free to all workers in factories.’ • “The Employers’ Federation immediately held a meeting, in conjunction with representatives of dairy factories, when it was unanimously decided to continue negotiations with the union in accordance with the dieection as laid down in the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1925, and its amendments, and as already conveyed by telegram. In accordance with this decision the following letter has been delivered by hand in Wellington this afternoon to the secretary of the New Zealand Dairy Factories and Related Trades Employees’ Industrial Union of Workers:

“ ‘Acknowledgement is made of receipt of a letter addressed to the secretary of the New Zealand Employers’ Federation, dated December 17, which purports to be a reply to my telegram of December 16. The communication is so substantially different from your telephone message that we take it your union has modified its attitude. In such case the dispute can proceed without interruption through the Conciliation Council. We suggest an immediate consultation for the purpose of fixing the earliest possible date. We must, however, draw your attention to the necessity to take steps to amend your claims as now submitted in the manner prescribed by the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, and its amendments.’ ”