FREEZING DISPUTE

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 225, 19 June 1936, Page 2

FREEZING DISPUTE

Workers Seek Dominion Award COMPLICATED POSITION Because of the fact that for the first time in tbe history of industrial arbitration in the Dominion a North Island and a South Island federation functioned in an industrial dispute, the newly-appointed Conciliation 'Commissioner (Air. AL J. Reardon), whose first case it was, found it necessary yesterday to set up two conciliation councils which functioned as one body. This unique position arose in AA'ellihgton yesterday during the hearing of a Dominion dispute in the meat freezing industry. It is doubtful if a more complicated dispute has ever been liefore a conciliation council or the Arbitration Court. It was created by the North Island Freezing AVorks and Related Trades Association of Workers, comprising eleven unions in the North Island. The claims were made against the whole of the meat-freezing companies operating in the North Island, and the conditions in the statement of claims covered every department of the industry. A dispute was also created in the South Island by the South Island Freezing AVorkers’ Industrial Association, involving the whole of the South Island meat-freezing works. In addition, there was a dispute in the Auckland industrial district,-creat-ed by the Auckland Abattoirs Assistants’ Union and the employers in the Auckland industrial district. That dispute and another created by the AVellington Freezing AVorks Employees’ Union were set down for hearing .it a later date. By mutual arrangement, however, the Auckland union agreed to co-operate with the North Island Freezing AVorkers’ Federation in the case at present before the Conciliation Council.

The commissioner’s task is rendered difficult by reason of the fact that in addition to the two industrial associations, there are no fewer than four separate unions in the Auckland industrial district, ten in AVellington, two in Poverty Bay, one in Taranaki, five in Canterbury, one In Alarlborough, and four in Otago and Southland. The effect of this will be that if an agreement is arrived at, the whole of the freezing works throughout New Zealand will be covered by that agreement, hut because of the technicalities of the law it will be neeessarv to have a _ separate agreement registered in the North aud South Islands. Mr. Reardon invited representatives of the AVellington union to be present and to take part in the proceedings, but Mr. A. McLeod, secretary of the union, after making a statement on behalf of his organisation. and also the Otago-Southland-Freezing Workers’ Union, declined the invitation. The agent for the North Island association is Air. W. E. Sill (Auckland), Mr. L. Glover (AVellington) is the South Island agent, and the employers’ agent is Mr. C. G. Wilkin (Christchurch). The assessors for the North Island dispute are as followAV orkers: Messrs. F. J. Cleary (Whakatu), J. Manson (Auckland), S. Crutchley (Imlay). J. Mabey (Longburn), H. Bailey (Whakatu), A. Cretney (AA T aingawa), and J. O. Drew (Tomoana), Employers: Messrs. A. Suter (Auckland), J. T. Rogerson (Longburn), J. J. Evans (Ngahauranga), F. S. Candy (Hastings), H. S. E. Turner (Christchurch), A. Derbie (Invercargill), and D. P. Garriek (Belfast). In the South Island dispute, _ the assessors for t)*? Freezing Workers’ Association were: Messrs. H. G. Kilpatrick (Christchurch), L. Glover (AVellington), S. Harland (Bluff), E. Martin (Ashburton), C. Garside (Balclutha), A. C. Loach (Hornby), and A. AV. Chatfield (Afataura). The employers’ assessors were: Messrs. P. Borthwick (Alasterton), T. E. Bowie (Auckland), A. Derbie (Invercargill). D. P. Garriek (Belfast), H. S. 0. Turner (Christchurch), J. T. Rogerson (Longburn), aud J. J. Evans (Ngahauranga).

Every phase of the freezing industry is covered in the workers’ claims, which include some hundreds of clauses. The minimum rate for labourers is 2/34 an hour, the claims varying according to the class of work performed. The rates asked for slaughtering on the solo system are £2/3/7 a 100 for sheep, and £2/0/11 for lambs Chain slaughtermen are seeking £2/10/- a 100 for sheep and £2/5/- for lambs, with a minimum of 3/34 an hour where the work is done at an hourly rate. The claims of tbe workers include a provision that, except where otherwise specified, the ordinary hours of work shall be eight (including “smoko”), between the hours of 7.30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on five days of the week (Alonday to b ridgy inclusive). In their counter-proposals the employers offer an increase of 5 per cent, on the rates of pay set out in the present industrial agreement, subject to the conditions of work remaining the same as in that agreement. The following important note is added; “These eouuter-proposals are made on' the basis that, under, the new and pror posed statutory provisions, both in regard to time and other alterations in working conditions, the average earnings of the workers in the industry will be at least equal to if not greater than, the earnings under the 1931 rates of pay—or. in other words, the total wages bill of the employers under these proposals will be, for a similar volume of work, equal to or greater than the total amount paid. l’'' 10 5 to tlie General Order reduction of IJol. It the request of all parties, the proceedings were taken in committee. Alost of the"’morning was devoted to a discussion on the 'intentions of the Government with regard to the restoration of the IJ.A rates of ua.v and the bearing the legislation’would have on the extremely involved wage scale (partly piecework and partly hourly rates) in the freezing industry. It was not possible to arrive at finality on this point, and the parties settled down to discuss working conditions.' Some progress was made, and at 5 p.m. they adjourned until 10 a.m. today. Three days have been allotted for the hearing.