23 MORE MEN

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 87, 6 January 1933, Page 10

23 MORE MEN

Meat Company’s Works CHAIN RAIL SYSTEM Increase in Free Labour ADDITIONAL GANGS Finishing touches were added last evening to an extension of the chainrail system of slaughtering in operation .at the works of Hie Wellington Meat Export Company. As 3 result Hie number of free-labour hands at work this morning will be increased from 115 to 138. Up to yesterday five chain-rails, each attended by a gang of 23 men. were in operation. This morning’s addition will make the sixth, and by Monday morning a seventh, employing another 23 hands, will be in readiness. The five original chain rails, installed to facilitate the training of free labour which is replacing unionists who have refused work under revised wages rates and conditions, were accommodated in the space formerly occupied by a board containing hooks for 27 solo slaughtermen. Under the solo system each man carried out the complete slaughtering operation, whereas the work is now divided into a number of operations, each performed by a man trained in that branch of tlie work. In other words 115 men have found employment in place of 27 union slaughtermen. The sixth chain rail to be manned this morning is being accommodated on the second of three boards in the works, and, together with the seventh chain rail, will replace 32 solo hooks. The third board, which contains 2S hooks, may not be utilised under the new system. It is reported that one union slaughterman reported for work yesterday morning, otherwise the position as between the unionists and the company remains unchanged.