Shearing deal cited

Press, 24 June 1978, Page 3

Shearing deal cited

( The chairman of the meat ■and wool section of the 1 I North Canterbury Federated : Farmers (Mr M. R. Murchison) replied yesterday to a I suggestion that groups _ of ! farmers might negotiate 1 i rates with shearers and pay' them above award rates. i Mr J. W. Ayers, a member 'of the executive of the Workers’ Union, should be ; fully aware that the agreement reached between the ’Workers’ Union and farmers Son shearing rates, was hoped; Ito be binding for the whole: of Canterbury, Mr Murchi-. 'son said. Mr Murchison denied Mr; '.Ayers’s assertion that he was trying to cause trouble | between shearers and farmers who had come to their | own amicable agreements. I A man W'as entitled to a i reasonable payment for a I job well done, but a similar i job should not be worth [varying amounts in different I areas, Mr Murchison said. Earlier in the week he had criticised fanners ' who paid I shearers above award rates. I

ti Agreement was reached' ■'this week between shearers i and farmers that rates for ■I shearing in Canterbury | : should be 15 per cent above: award rates. : 1 The new rates are: — ! Machine shearing, $34.16 perl 1100 sheep, plus rations; | blade shearing, $44.30 per -100 plus rations; cover ilcomb, the rate to be nego•Tiated between the employer Hand employee. ;| Shearers who use their ■ own handpieces will be paid Han allowance of 60c per 100 [sheep shorn. i Where a shearer lives | away from the farm, an : I allowance of $2.50 per day i will be paid in lieu of rations and accommodation. • This will be paid every day including Sundays and wet i days, from the beginning of i work in a shed until all the • sheep have been shorn. i Where a shearer is re- : quired to provide his own transport he will be paid 13c I per km (21c a mile). I The crutching rates are: I Full belly, full crutch andi

I eyewig. $14.24 per 100; half : belly, full crutch and eyeiwig, $13.33; half belly, full I crutch only, $12.37; full; I crutch and eyewig, $11.44;: full crutch and eyewig, ■lambs, $10.30; full crutch! ■only, $10.51; full crutch, lambs, $9.46; tail crutch and' eyewig, $9.58; tail crutch and eyewig, lambs, $8.62: ■ tail crutch only, $8.65; tail (crutch, lambs, $7.79. Where flanking is required a minimum of $1 per 100 will be added to the appropriate rate. Shed hands will be paid not. less than $2.85 per hour and pressers not less than $3. These are minimum rates .for inexperienced hands, and competent and experienced hands are to be paid at a higher rate than this. Daggers are to be paid at pressers’ rates per hour, or at $10.05 per 100 sheep. The entitlement to a cost-of-living allowance (of 7 per cent limited to $7 per week) ceased at the beginning of: The month.