Pay talks fail; repercussions might be serious

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32422, 8 October 1970, Page 1

Pay talks fail; repercussions might be serious

(By oar industrial reporter)

The present wage dispute between the freezing companies and their workers might develop into one of the worst industrial disputes since World War 11.

Apart from delaying the new killing season—due to open on Monday in Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough and Hawke’s Bay—it will have repercussions over the whole New Zealand industrial field.

National negotiations for an interim wage increase broke down in Christchurch yesterday, the workers claiming 25c an hour for labourers and the employers offering Bc.

The crucial issue was not the amount of the claim but the basis on which it was made.

The workers’ chief negotiator (Mr F, E. McNulty) insisted that a fundamental ruling of the Arbitration Court be followed, and that wage increases be based, as in the past, on recent award increases and not on gains in actual pay. Mr McNulty says that until this year some unions have enjoyed an unofficial margin over other workers through being able to negotiate ruling rates above their awards. It has been useless for unions whose members are kept on award rates to point to the real rates of pay in other occupations when trying to negotiate increases for themselves.

Since this system has applied down the years, says Mr McNulty, he can see no reason why it should be changed now to suit the con-

venience of employers. On the contrary, now that ruling rates have been incorporated in awards, other workers should take the opportunity to regain the. relativity they have lost over the years. The employers see this as an over-simplified argument which ignores a number of important factors.

But the workers believe their argument to be justified, and they see this as the time to make their stand.

‘Bare award’ “Freezing workers, like all other workers paid on the bare award, have been de-

pressed for years,” Mr McNulty said yesterday. “Either we make it up now, or we’ll be behind for ever and a day.” The freezing workers almost certainly expected their claim to be rejected, and they

timed the negotiations perfectly for subsequent direct action. Their seasonal workers are still employed in their offseason jobs, and have been advised by the unions to stay in those’ jobs. Duties continued The policy for those now employed at the works is that they will continue with their present duties and will work the same hours, but no more workers will be allowed to join the chains. With only nominal killing being done at present, this means that the export season cannot start until a settlement is reached. During the season the two Hawkes Bay works run six chains each and kill about 22.000 sheep a day between them. At the moment, according to Mr McNulty, they are killing only about 200 sheep a day. Four chains The nine freezing works in the Canterbury, Nelson and Marlborough districts are running fewer than four full chains between them. In both areas the season is due to open next week, and the other districts should normally follow within a few weeks.