LABOUR IN DAIRY FACTORIES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 17, 15 October 1907, Page 5

LABOUR IN DAIRY FACTORIES.

DELEGATES IN CONEERENCE. • ' '-' ' DEIUNDS OF THE WORKERS. '. ; A meetins of the delegates from tho Waira-. : rapa Dairy Companies was held in Carterton, on Saturday,T writes our' Wairarapa corrospon- ,f dMt, to consider the claims recently made by ' : tlio Wellington Butter, Creamery, and Cheese" Employees' Industrial Union" of /Workers. Thera .were twelve companies represented attho meptiiiK. The Mauriceville Company was the .only one representing butter, i, There • waro .present :—Messrs.- W. Fi6her (chairman), A. luiutson (Dalefield), C. Lorenzen and G. Gaskin (Parkvalc), H. R. Bunny (Aluarube), H. Adamson (Groytown),', W. Fuge . (l'eatherston), J. Brown (Taratahi)/Elliot and Wise: (Kongokokako), W.' L: Faulkner (Kai- . tuua), T. B. Mason (Nirelia), B. R. Rayner and U. Anderson-(Kock. Inlet), E. Pedersen (Maurv' iceville). 'Mn J..-Gi>Harkness,.chairman.of theNational Dairy Association, was also present. In reply to a question by the chairman, Mr. Darkness stated that the National Dairy Asso- > elation had been rcgisttered on October 8 as a union. It was now ; possible tor the National ' Dairy Association to represent the whole of the • companies affiliated, in any industrial-court. ~.;:■■' '-/;•-, ! : V;A. SUGGESTION. With "reference, to the present, difficulty, Mr.Harkness thought' it better to make an agreement with tho employees; ijstead .'.. of going , • .before an Arbitration'Court.'vhere there might- ' -be lot.of dirty linen washed. ■ ;;-.■■'■ PRESENT WAGES. ',:- .-■,.'', : .,>Tn the course of. further-discussionit was mentioned that the rates of-wages in the principal Wairarapa factories were as follows:—Dalefield—manager, £275; first assistant) £2 10s.; second assistant, £2; third and fourth, £1 175.. Gd.-; casuals; £1 Vis.. Gd. <Piirkvale— manager, Contract; first assistant, 10s. ■• Fe'atherston— manager, contract; first assistant; 1 £% 10s. Grey.-town-first assistant, £2 10s.; second; £2. Rongo. :■ kokako—manager,' .£2oo;' first assistant, £2 55.; second; .£2; third, £\ 15s. Belvidere and Taratahi—manager, £186; first assistant, 2 7s. Gd.j . > second, £2 25..Gd.; third, £2.- Ahiaruhe—manager, £150. In' reply to the Chairman as to how the de. .mandi came to bo made, .Mr. Harkness said t;liat'-seven-employees could form a union and could ask . the dairy . companies to make an agreement; If nothing was done the companies "could -bo cited and made to,.abide by tho decision of the court. ' . ■'■"!..-•.■"." -;;AN , -The Chairman thought.that,'there"'had:been some injustice " in.'the ; whole : business with lffcrehco to the" WairaTapa, where all the ■ v/orltcrs.; were '.comparatively satisfied, and when' there was : ,not, he believed, a union man in any of the factories. ' ■ ■■■:■'■'■"■'■■■ THE TARANAKI. AWARD. . Mr. Harkness referred to tho. fact that the Taranaki award was drawn up on a minimum : wage which was £2 15s. per week: -. „:, - Mr H. R. Bunny proposed that tho Chairman and Messrs. J. G.' Harkness, W. Fuge. Wise, and' H.' Adamson be appointed a com- •.--. mittco- to go' into tho subject forthwith and- '■.-.-■ draft .'outran agreomoat.'whdiU.'he thought, might be' on' the.lines of the Taranaki award. ' > Mr Wise' seconded' the motion, and said that He thought that tho Taranaki award was most reasonable.. V, .', Mr. Adamson thought that it would not fie wise for the Wairarapa companies to pay less than, thoso in Taranaki.' "■ : ; If they did, the' petter men .would go to, Taranaki.' ; - • " ' , ■ Tho motion was carried, and it was decided that the' Committeo should ■ report ' , tho matter after-lunch.' Mr. Harkness stated: : that there would bo a large meeting of dairy,company- delegates in Palnierston Nortn on October 23, and the "confirmed report' might ba submitted to this conference. It was decidedto agree to Mr. Harkuess's proposal, and later the Chairman (Mr. Fisher) and-Mr. Wise were appointed to. represent the Wairarapa dairy. ■ companies at ...the conference.; ■/■'■• ../>■ -:■' -THE-CLAIiIS. --.'."■•.," are the' more important claims 'made by the Wellington, Butter, .Creamery, and Cheese-Factories [Employees' Industrial .Union of Workers:— !' -l.Minimumrateiofwagesto.be:— _ l ; Butter Factories.- —Separating and Enginedriving :" Head of Department, £3; night-shift, £3 ss. : Weekly-wages as above, with two pounds of butter per week and two quarts of milk per day. Buttcrinaking and Packing — Butter* maker, J£3 10s.; -first assistant, £3; other • workers, £2 15s. Churning—Head ckurner, £3i assistant, ;£2 15s. ■■ Cream Receiving and Can Washing—Head of department, £3; assistant,'.. \ £2 lOs 1 .-■ Allworkers'.to reooivo in addition to the above weekly wages two pounds of butter por-week and two quarts of milk per day. Cheese Factories.—Cheese-maker, £3 10s.; first assistant, £3; other wurkcrs, £2 15s. Each cm< ployee to receive two quarts'of milk per day. :.- and! ; cheese;. • i'-T'; ■'•''■ ;"-: ' .-,'.->■'■■/ ... ~.- •■ Creameries.—Creamery managors, £2 Bs. per week yearly.'. House with suitable -living ar* commodation, fuel/ two pounds, of butter, pec :' week-and two quarts of millc pbr'day. Youtliß, . 1G to 17, 15s: per. week;;l7 to 18, 255. per week); o'fer'lß, full wages, 'one.pound of butter per,, week and ono" quart of milk piir-, day. Tho;,.. number of youths employed shall not exceed ( ! ono'to every employer; firm or company em- ; ployingVfour competent! worlnneu, and one to 'j every additional .our competent workmen. ' i •» i 2. Casual Hands—Each man employed to re- ' j ceivo wages at time and an eighth rato and i allowances same as regular workers. • -. i ; •;i , 3.: A worker who,is not employed for mors : ■] than tliree months continuously shall be classed \ as a casual; hand, and employers wlien engag- | ing subh worker shall acquaint him as tor j the length of time he shall be required.- - - ' \\ 'i i. Fortv-eight" hours to constitute a weeks- ] work, and no worker to work moro.than fiyo \i hours continuously. : This clause not to apply, | i !to creamery workers. "':■■.■.' ■■':■!'< *. 5. AU workers to bo employed by tho year, ;•• excepting casual hands. :' ■ ] G. A factory to. include all milk depots'and , 1 any branch. ■ '."■'■■' ■ ~'" N ■-'■-. ■'I ..-7. The pay.to be fortnightly.,..,.. ■--'■ . : B'. The pay'stated for creamery'men does not . j include'tho carting : of cream, coal, stores,■ ; ompty cans,: etc., which must in all cases be ' -J let'by tender,;creamery men to havo tho pre-; :; 9. For more-than twenty thousand pounds .'j of milk received per ,day at any creamery -." ;: there must'- be employed an assistant, whose . wages shall not be less than 255. per.-wesk. '.'■ -.' • ' ; ; 10. All factories making half, a ton; of buttef i or half a ton of cheese, averaged'on a basis i for timo-factory, is running, shall be deemed : "j to,have ia employment, apart from the man< ager, a buttermaker or cheesemakcr respec>tively, .ivith such other workers as.they may j so require, such other workers'-to bo called ] ■first assistant, second assistant, .etc., in theW j order of merit and employment. . Heads oj j creameries to be called creamery managers, and j their assistants first creamery assistant, etc, iir, -.■:•,-} their respective order of merit. j :!:;,.-:' ;.' THE DECISION. . '. '-;? . Thv. Committeo ' went over these soriatiiLj-, '1 It was decided to-move no 1 regaining butter factories, as these were prao/) ' .'-.! tically .'not'represented. 1 . Cheese factories weri/, /: . j clapsi'fied into three grades, the rato of wagetf ;;j being based-on the'output in each case. No. 'j : -.-j cla'S? was for factories of 201 tons aud upwards;;', '■■?, Nj. ; 2 class, 101 tons to 200 tons; No. 3 class,;' , under 100 tons. Tho rate of wages agreed upon - : j by tho Committee was not-made public, but ft/ is understood to bo on somewhat similar liuc/ ; ;in:tho big factories as the Taranaki award,! i with a' corresponding decrease when applieo. ' i '.to'.""smaller "factories. According to - tM. - ] "Labour Journal," tho minimum Wage in tin/ '• -j Tcranald,- cheese factories is £2 15s. for firs/ ! assistants," £2 IDs. for second assistants, aiuf/.'-,'i .£2 : ss. for third assistants. It is hardlv posi ' ",] sible that tho wage in the second class factor-)/ ■'■ ies will:bo moro than £2 10s. and less than" 1 £2; and £2 ss. and £2 in the factories with v v < tho smallest output. Tho meeting was not iv I ■favour of- giving preference-to'.unionists. •'.' 1 ~lt is understood., that the clauses embodied •'} in the claim were subjected to considerably modification- and wero then' submitted to th* !■ nutting aud. approved unanimously. '•■'.-,>