MILKERS ON SHARE BASIS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 143, 14 March 1938, Page 11

MILKERS ON SHARE BASIS

Standard Conditions AGREEMENT BETWEEN PARTIES Employment on Dairy Farms An agreement between the -New Zealand Farmers’ Union and the New Zealand Workers’ Union covering the employment of share-milkers on daily farms is given legislative authority in the Share-milking Agreements Bill, which was introduced in the House of Representatives by Governor-General’s message on Saturday. The legislation is to be applicable only in cases where the farmer-owner provides the herd, but it is capable of being extended to other forms of share-milking by Order-iu-Council. A schedule to the Bill sets out the standard terms and conditions of the share-milking agreement reached by the Farmers’ Union and the Workers’ Union. The most important point in the 39 clauses of the agreement is that fixing the remuneration of share-milk-ers. This provides that share-milkers whose duties comprise milking, care anil feeding of the stock, including pigs, are to receive not less than 25 per cent, of the milk and cream cheques and deferred payments. If the share-milker also does maintenance work he is to receive not less than 33 1-3 per cent., after deduction of cartage costs. He will not be required to contribute toward the payment of any shares or to receive any benefit from the share bonus unless there is an individual agreement to this effect. The sharemilker is also to receive half the value of calves and pigs. The other clauses in the agreement cover detailed aspects of farm work, but in one there is provision that no sharemilker is to be allowed to employ a female in the milking shed except with the consent of the farm owner.

In an explanatory statement, the Minister of Labour, Hon. H. T. Armstrong, said the object of the measure was to provide minimum standard terms for agreements between sharemilkers and farmers. It is provided that all agreements made after August 1 this year must not contain conditions less favourable to the sharemilker than those included in the standard agreement printed as a schedule to the Bill. The conditions of the standard agreement may be varied from time to time by Order-in-Council, provided there is agreement on the alterations between the Farmers’ Union and the Workers’ Union. The clause empowering the application of the Bill by Ortier-in-Couneil to classes bf sharemilking other than that in which the farmer-owner provides the herd provides that the parties must be

iu agreement before the extension is made. The Minister stated that the clause was intended to cover cases in which the farmers merely provided the farming facilities. The legislation is to be administered by the Labour Department, and there is provision that sharemilking agreements may be enforced even though they are not in writing. Authority is given for an inspector of the Labour Department to take proceedings on behalf of any sharemilker in order to enforce the latter’s rights under the agreement. The Bill was read a first time.

The Native Purposes Bill-and the Thames Borough Commissioner Amendment Bill were I'ead a second time by the Legislative Council on Saturday.