Shearers not optimistic

Press, 23 July 1976, Page 3

Shearers not optimistic

Shearers’ problems are not expected to be resolved at a meeting between their representatives and farmers’ representatives to be held in Wellington next Wednesday. The meeting was announced this week by the Minister of Labour (Mr Gordon) who has turned down the holding of a Committee of Inquiry to study shearers’ problems. The South Island secretary of the Workers’ Union (Mr T. Weame) said it might be possible to clear up some of the points that shearers had -liced but they had tried

before in conciliation and had failed. In.their opinion many farmers were oblivious to the real problems facing shearers. Over the years shearing practices had changed. Shearers had formerly stayed on a property, kept from start to finish of the job; they now travelled to and from the farm so that costs had been transferred from the farmer to the shearer. This had never been completely taken care of, so that shearers’ rates were no longer adequate. “It is my opinion that we will never get the situation under complete control until we have a Committee of Inquiry,” said Mr Wearne. The union had emphasised for several years that eventually the situation would

explode and shearers would express their strong disapproval. This they had now done. Mr Weame said that this was not just a Canterbury issue.

The chairman of the committee representing farmers in North, Mid and South Canterbury, Mr M. R. Barnett, said that after a meeting between the union, shearers’ representatives, and farmers under the conciliator (Mr L. Fortune) it had been agreed that the matters raised by the union were of a national nature and should be looked at by a Committee of Inquiry. Mr Barnett said he thought that there were some areas where there could be a joint approach—such as on acci-

dent compensation for open shed shearers, and on payment for shearing gear. However, there was no disagreement that the maximum rates allowable under the wage freeze regulations were being paid. Mr Gordon had agreed that outstanding matters could be dealt with in conciliation; he was prepared to have the proposed meeting although the award had not expired. Mr Barnett said he understood that the union had undertaken that, so long as this meeting proceded, shearing and crutching in Canterbury would go ahead at the announced local rates of $29 per 100 for open shed shearing, $11.30 for half belly crutching, and $12.40 for full belly crutching.