N.I. Shearers Criticised By S.I. Union Secretary

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30286, 12 November 1963, Page 15

N.I. Shearers Criticised By S.I. Union Secretary

The big influx of North Island shearers coming to the South Island had a total disregard for the well-being of their union in the South Isand, a total disregard for the South Island farmer, and a total disregard for the South Island shearer, said the South Island secretary of the New Zealand Workers’ Union. Mr W. A. Dempster, yesterday. The North Island shearers, coming in big numbers, he said, were unco-operative and did not appear to be very un i on-conscious. “The only trouble we are experiencing down here is the influx of North Island shearers,” he said. “They appear to come to the South Island only to get what they | can for themselves." | Mr Dempster said that (without the unqualified prei ference clause, these shearers (from the North Island would ; not be members of their union. Mr Dempster said he could not verify that farmers in the South Island were "quite happy” to pay £8 per 100 tc have their sheep shorn. He was commenting on a statement made by Mr J. Harrison, a shearing contractor of Taihape, when he was presiding over a meeting of shearers and shed hands at Marton on Saturday night. Mr Harrison told the meeting that South Island farmers were paying up to £8 per 100 to have their sheep shorn and were "quite happy with it.” Mr Dempster said there was no doubt that Mr Harrison was a “go-getter.” Mr Harrison, he said, was a farmer, a shearing contractor, and a member of both

Federated Fanners and the New Zealand Workers’ Union. "His convening and addressing an unconstitutional shearers' meeting on the union policy for New Zealand as an employer (Federated Farmers) and as an employee (New Zealand Workers’ Union) must be somewhat unorthodox,” said Mr Dempster. In the South Island, he said, 80 per cent co-operation was achieved between fanner, contractor and members of the union. Through this cooperation it had been possible to establish good rates and conditions, together with strict observance of the award and its various machinery clauses. The local rate system was working harmoniously in the South Island. It was agreed to locally on a district basis in line with the requirements for each of the 42 separate shearing districts in the South Island. The local rate took into consideration such factors as tile type of sheep, rainfall, availability of local shearers. distance local shearers had to travel each day, the availability of cooks and shed hands and the type of accommodation. Mr Dempster said that in the South Island, allowances had been made for legal action to be taken against all those who committed breaches of the award. “Has this same co-opera-tion (that exists in the South Island) extended to the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Workers' Union?” asked Mr Dempster. “This is a 100-dollar question.” (The shearers and shed hands meeting at Marton on Saturday night, described by

Mr Dempster as “unconstitutional,” was attended by the national president of the workers’ union, Mr F. Fenton, the Wellington branch president, Mr J. Silvester and a member of the union's national council, Mr J. Woods, who came from Wellington to attend the meeting.)