FREEZING INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 70, 16 December 1937, Page 2

FREEZING INDUSTRY

Dispute In Arbitration Court DECISION RESERVED By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, December 15. “It is estimated that the union’s present claims, including the cost of various overhead conditions, particularly overtime, will add more than £500,000 to the wages bill in the industry,” said Mr. C. G. Wilkin, Christchurch,'in opening the employers’ side of the freezing works dispute in the Second Arbitration Court. extra cost of increases embodied in last yetrr’s award was estimated at about £450,000, Mr. Wilkin added, and the companies felt that taking the long view of market values for the industry’s products, and having regard to the farct that directly or indirectly additional charges fell on the farming community, the addition in two years of £1,000,000 to Hie annual wages bill was not warranted. The present claim would mean cretrse of 80 per cent, to the 1935-36 wages bill. Mr. Wilkin said the employers considered that not only was there no case for any increase, blit they were justified in asking for some relief from certain of the present rates where labour costs were out of all proportion to the nature of the work and the value of the product.

In reply to the union’s request for a 40-hour five-day week, Mr. Williin said, by the very nature of the industry it was absolutely necessary that much of the work must be carried on without interruption for at least 24 hours after killing stock. Much valuable stock matured in rushes on account of the seasonal conditions, and the deletion of Saturday work would mean delay in killing and a serious loss to the farmer. Witnesses who were called gave evidence in support of the employers’ submissions and contended that the introduction of a 40-hour, five-day week was not practicable in the freezing industry. The court reserved its decision.