SLAUGHTERMEN'S STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 761, 9 March 1910, Page 8

SLAUGHTERMEN'S STRIKE.

' THE. eOMPESINT OF THE PLOOR . ' '' A \ : ;;" : \ HANDS. '''■' ■•' APPLIdifJTV'TOE. WJOBK. . ' . '". . , (Br ■Tej.e.Erannl—Press: Association.! ■■■■■ ' Auckland, -March' B,:.'''' So far.as;the slaughtermen and their, assistant's '.who were responsible for .the cessation 'of work at Southdown are concerned things are .'as they ; were, yester-; day. The'men are still on, strike and no overtures have-been'-made by .either, masters or .men with a view to their resuming work' again on the old terms, or on any terms whatever.. * , '■'" : , The .slaughtermen, say .that they .have no grievance" of their own, but .'that, they considered J themselves in «honour ..bound to como out,in sympathy with the floor hands. .'Their action is bringing most •'unwelcome' hardship.in the way of ..the seventy other, men who were employees at the;works who did.not want a-strike.". .' The complaint, of, the floor hands, the men who initiated. the strike, was, and still is, that they' we're not,paid enough; They say that they are paid at. per hour and are therefore offered no.'inducement to wort 'fast_ On the Mother •; hand the slaughtermen , who make .work for the floor hands are allowed to work as fast as they- can,: and. they do so in ; order to make, high wages. . In other:.words the'.number 'of sheep: per: .hour, .which butchers. may: kill: is limited, and, gutboys .have less to. do in, consequence. In. Gisborne,' for instance, ' the butchers kill only ten sheep; per hour,as against an average of 16 per .hour, done 'by the men at .the: Southdown, works, but the floor hands .at Gisborne. get Is. per hour, an- the Auckland men lljd.. In response to the company's advertisement' for .fresh' hands,. eight men,, some of-them supposed to. be.' expert slaughtermen'not at present .'working at their trade, : .;applied for.work-at the company's Omce-yesterday, and were, told to go out to the works this morning.. On.their arrival; there it was fouud .'that had' •not. come prepared :with. ah. outfit ,of knives; steel, and such accessories, and in consequence, thoy will- not ho taken on till to-morro\i:.., Two men of the lot were "working all day to-day, however, so tha.t 'the'works are now no'; longer-actu-ally closed.. vToriuflrroiy it is hoped by the company,' .that.'all the eight men referred, .to,-, as 'Well as- one or 'two- others who have, applied at. the . office ,-,to : day, will be at.,work...in '.the slaughterhouse., The appeal to the farmers, has also, met with some response by way of promises of assistance:. ..'..'. . ' ,