Abattoir Workers Get Wage Increases

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31114, 18 July 1966, Page 7

Abattoir Workers Get Wage Increases

The new Christchurch Abattoir Employees’ Award, which resulted from a hearing of the Arbitration Court after a strike at the abattoirs last April, has been announced.

The dispute was between the Canterbury Freezing Workers’ Union and Canterbury Bye-Products Company, Ltd., of Christchurch. The Court granted Increases of about 9s 4d to 9s 8d to the minimum weekly basic rate for a wide section of adult abattoir workers. The minimum rate of a head shepherd increased by 9s 7d to £22 2s 6d.

The minimum rate of a mutton labourer increased by 9s 8d to £l9 15s fid and gen - end labourers by 9s lOd to £l9 ss.

Slaughtermen’s daily rates were increased by Is lOd to £5 18s and slaughtermen's assistants by 2s to £4 9s 6d. Slaughtermen deemed capable at slaughtering not less than 80 sheep or lambs a day will receive a minimum payment, exclusive of overtime earnings, of £24 a week at the rate of £4 16s a day. A new clause in the award

relates to waiting time. It says that slaughtermen shall wait 10 minutes in the event of a cut-out, but if required to wait longer than 10 minutes, they shall be paid at the rate of Us 3d an hour for all time so waited. The recognised dinner time is excluded. The award is retrospective from June 20. It will continue till January 13, 1968. The secretary of the Canterbury Freezing Workers’ Association (Mr S. Arnst) said on Friday that the wage increase and holidays were what was asked from the Court by the union. “The weekly rate for workers, other than slaughtermen

piece-workers, varies according to classification from £l9 5s a week to £22 2s 6d -a week,” said Mr Arnst "In the weekly computa-

tion, the Court, for some reason, has taken Id a week to 5d a week off the weekly rate and made the rate to the nearest 6d a week. The piece-workers have had the equivalent of 10s a week written into their piecework rates. “The minimum weekly pay for mutton slaughtermen is £24 a week.”