Farmers, shearers disagree on rates

Press, 3 June 1981, Page 11

Farmers, shearers disagree on rates

Representatives of shearers and farmers are at loggerheads over special rates for shearing sheep in Canterbury. Representatives of Federated Farmers from throughout Canterbury and shearers' representatives met in Christchurch on Friday. Shearers want a 15 per cent premium above award rates regardless of breed, while farmer representatives say that the award provides only for local agreements applying to fine-wool sheep, and that award rates, including the 5 per cent general wage order, should apply to shearing of crossbred sheep. However, shearers’ representatives believe that in practice farmers -will pay the premium above the award on all breeds. The South Island secretary of the New Zealand Workers’ Union, Mr T. Wearne, said after the meeting that for the last three or four years there had been an across-the-board premium in Canterbury that applied to all breeds of sheep, although in the last two years a firm agreement had not been reached on this. However,

farmers and shearers had applied the 15 per cent premium over this period. Mr Wearne said that the award did stipulate that local agreements could apply only to fine-wool sheep. The union had recently sought unsuccessfully to have that provision eliminated. However, when negotiations had been held in Canterbury last year, farmers’ representatives' had not been prepared to increase the premium on finewool sheep beyond the 15 per cent in lieu of the across-the-board premium. The principle of,.a two-tier rate was not satisfactory to union members and would create many problems in sheds. These sentiments had also been expressed by a lot of farmers. At a series of district meetings recently, union members had unanimously agreed to reject any thought of a two-tier system and had agreed to maintain the status quo of a 15 per cent premium across-the-board for the coming season. Mr Wearne said that the premium had been paid last year. Shearers would charge it again, and it was not

expected that there would be any problems. In the latest award, rates were increased by 13.8 per cent , and as well there has been the general wage order of 5 per cent. The chairman of the meat and wool section of North Canterbury Federated Farmers, Mr E. W. Turrell, said that in 1977 the Committee of Inquiry into the shearing industry recommended that local agreements above the national award should be justified. Furthermore it had been agreed in the national award that local agreements applied to Corriedale, Halfbred, and Merino sheep. “Farmers believe that the current award rates, including the 5 per cent general wage order applying, from June 11, should be adhered to for crossbred sheep — $48.30 a 100 to which must be added a handpiece allowance of 93c per 100 sheep and a livingaway allowance of $4.13 a day. In addition, shearers receive a travelling allowance of 23.29 c a kilometre. “Crutching rates will be at the national award rates to which the 5 per cent general wage order must be added,” he said.