HOLIDAYS AT WORKS

Press, Volume CI, Issue 30008, 18 December 1962, Page 16

HOLIDAYS AT WORKS

No Agreement Reached No agreement was reached on the holidays to be taken by freezing workers over Christmas and New Year at a meeting between the freezing companies and the Canterbury Freezing Workers’ Union representatives yesterday. The employers proposed that the workers continue normal killing up to midday, Saturday, December 22. They said they would make no call for killing on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve provided normal killing was carried out on December 27, 28 and 29 and that normal killing was resumed on January 2. The union proposed that normal killing be carried out until midday on December 22 and resumed on January 2. Workers would be provided for the handling of local trade in the interim, and loading-out of meat and other products for export would be done, if required, for no additional pay beyond normal pay. The union representatives said the employers’ proposal would be referred to the union branches at all the nine works in the Canterbury industrial district, from Picton to Pareora, and that the branches would decide whether to meet the employers’ proposal or abide by the union’s decision. Notices setting out the employers’ proposals were posted in ail the works yesterday. If the employers' proposals are not met, all men will lose the protection of the guaranteed minimum wage over the fortnight, but will be paid for the statutory holidays. Last year, the freezing workers declined to work in between Christmas and New Year.

A spokesman for the freezing companies said that plenty of lambs were ready for killing. Lambs overweight after New Year could be penalised for export.