SHEARING CHARGES IN POVERTY BAY

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26523, 11 September 1951, Page 8

SHEARING CHARGES IN POVERTY BAY

CONTRACTORS DECIDE ON INCREASE

(New Zealand Press Association) GISBORNE, September 10. Poverty Bay contractors have decided to charge a minimum of £l2 17s 6d a hundred sheeps plus free meat, for shearing gangs this season. This was announced to-day by the secretary of the New Zealand Workers’ Union (Mr W. Harnett), who convened a meeting of contractors in Gisborne on Saturday. The average charge last season was £6 15s a hundred.

Mr Harnett said that the decision was based on double the ordinary rate of £5 17s, plus an additional 7J per cent. The charge applied to sixstand gangs or more. Gangs under six would have a higher percentage increase. . Wool classers and other experts are to be paid by the sheepfarmers. Mr Harnett said that the decision, which was unanimous, was considered to be fair and reasonable. The award rate for ordinary shearing was now £5 17s a hundred. Although wool prices had dropped recently, twothirds of last season’s wool had been sold at the high rate. Hawke’s Bay shearing charges would still be higher than those in Poverty Bay, said Mr Harnett, for contractors there had decided on a minimum of £l5 15s a hundred, plus meat. The Poverty Bay decision will affect at least SO contractors.