RATES FOR SHEARING.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1199, 7 August 1911, Page 4

RATES FOR SHEARING.

t ,£1 PER 100 ALL ROUND,

Consideration was given to the following remit sent in by tho Canterbury branch by the Shearers' Conference Inst week:—

That a manifesto Ixj issued to mem- . bers from conference: that tho .union rate for all shearing be .£1 per 100. and that this price be strictly adhered to. Alter a lengthy discussion on tho subject. it was unanimously resolved by the conference that the general secretary bo instructed to seek legal advice from 111'. O'Regan, solicitor, "Wellington, l'o tho issuing of a manifesto stating that the conference of shearers' delegates pledged itself unanimously not to become workers within the meaning of tho Arbitration Act at less than 20s. per 100 for shearing, and strongly urged all members of the association not to beconio workers under the shearers' award and tho Arbitration Act at less than 20s. per 100 during the coming season. It was urged that, inasmuch as no shearing was being done now, the members of tho association were not "workers" within tho meaning of the Act. In order to be "workers" within the meaning of the Act, members must bo actually employed in the industry at the particular time when they were considered to bo "workers"; and' that, therefore, by issuing such a manifesto before shearing operations commenced, the association was not nctinging in contravention of the "striko clauses" of the Act and of the shearers' award. At a later stage Jfr. O'Regan's letter of advice was received, expressing the opiu-. ion that tho association's contentions in this respect were sound in law, i.e., that, obviously, there could be 110 discontinuance of "employment till the employment had commenced; no breach of contract of service, because at present no contract of service existed; and therefore it was obvious that at present (out of shearing season) no unlawful strike of shearers could take place. Before an unlawful striko could take place, shearing must have commenced, and employment must have been discontinued, or tho contracts of service broken. So long as the union did not in its manifesto counsel a discontinuance of shearing after shearing had actually commenced, it was on safe legal ground.