Conference replies to claims of mistreatment

Press, 24 December 1986, Page 23

Conference replies to claims of mistreatment

PA Hamilton Horse racing’s ruling body has hit back at criticism of industry working conditions. Racing Conference general manager, Haff Poland, said yesterday he wanted to be shown examples of mistreatment of young stablehands as alleged by the Labourers Union in recent days. He said it was up to the trainers and stud owners, not the Racing Conference, to police an agreement giving guidelines for wages of stablehands.

“If we find there is anyone mistreating workers, we would have to question whether they are the sort of person who should be in the industry,” said Mr Poland. Meanwhile, two mothers of teenage girl stablehands have criticised what they said were bad conditions with Waikato trainers. Both asked that their names not be published,

fearing their children would lose their jobs and be locked out of the industry’. But they said they would support the moves to unionise the industry in the Waikato.

One said her daughter had worked 11 and 12hour days, seven days a week, for S3O a week pay-

Another said her daughter worked nine hours a day, for SIOO a week, with a " half-day and every’ second Sunday off. She said working conditions in the industry "stunk.” “I’ve tried to convince my daughter to leave — but she loves the job too much.” Prominent trainer, Alan Jones, of Cambridge, said he supported union involvement in the industry. Opposition to union involvement came from the Racing Conference which did not want to give up its total control of the industry, he said.

Jones said some trainers were paying stablehands low wages enabling them to keep training fees low. He helped organise an agreement in 1984 which set up a selfpolicing wage rate for stablehands.

“I personally was happy to have the union involved but I was under instructions from the Trainers Association,” he said. Trainers Association secretary, Cliff Fenwick, said claims of wages as low as S2O and S3O a week should be investigated fully before they were published. He would not comment on the figures. Any industry had its critics and unionising horse racing would kill it, he said. Mr Fenwick said senior stablehands earned up to 8250 to 8350 a week. He said stablehands were being paid a 12 per cent wage increase with a new agreement which comes into operation in February.