THE "STRIKE" SPREADING.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 40, 16 February 1907, Page 5

THE "STRIKE" SPREADING.

MEN LEAVE WORK AT PAREORA. FARMERS SERIOUSLY AFFECTED. Tjßt TELIIGRAFH — PKES3 ASSOCHTIOM.J TIMARU, 15th February. A strong feqling of regret was aroused in town this morning at the news that a strikes of hands at the Canterbury Meat Company's Pareora works had causod a complete stoppage of operations there. Tho regret was mainly of course on account of sympathy with shcop owners, who just now dcsiro, and require, to get their fat or half fat lambs into tho safe keeping of the refrigerator before they deteriorate through failing feed. Stock is being rushed to the freezing works as fast or faster than it can be dealt with, and there are now several thousands delivered at Pareora, and requiring artificial feed to keep them going. Fortunately, ihoro is an abundance of water on tho place, which is something for owners to bo thankful for. Tho works wero in full swing, and the stoppage means a loss to all parties. Enquiries made at tho company s office in town show that about 30 hands employed as slaughtermen's assistants in handling and doaling with tho offal, etc., gave notice on Wednesday that they would not work more than eight hours per day unless they wero paid time and . a half rates for "all work over eight ' hours. (Tho assistants, it may bo explained, havo to work longer than the slaughtermen, as it takes them about an hour to clean up after tho day's killing). Tho management declined to accede to the demand, and on Thursday the assistants knocked off when, having startod at 7 a.m., thoy had worked eight hours. This morning the butchers went to work, but tho assistants not turning up, killing had to be stopped at 10 a.m. The consequence is that, unless a settlement is arrived at, the rest of the staff, over 200 in all, will bo helpless, and after about 24 hours, when the stop-by-step processes for meat and offal have boon completed, tho wholo of the works will bo at a standstill. An award binding tho two Canterbury Freezing Companies, and the Canterbury Slaughtermen's Assistants Union were made and signed on 20th June, 1905, and tho award itself states that it was to remain in force till Ist October, 1906. It is, however, further ordered that tho award shall continue in force until it in superseded by another award or an industrial agree ment. Thin award reads as follows ' regarding hours of labour: — "The hour of commencing work will not be oarlicr than r.oven o'nork in the morning. No time in fixed for the hours of each day at which labour shall cease, and each emsloxer shall be at liberty tc deter-

mine this according to the exigencies from time to time of each business. The rules now in force in each slaughterhouse for smoking and for diraer shall continue in each business." The award fixes wages as follows: — For men over 21 years, 10£ d per hour ; 20 to 21 years, -7£d ; 19 to 20 years, 6£d ; 18 to 19 years, 5d por hour; 17 to 18 years, 17s 6d per week ; 16 to 17 years, 15s per week ; 15 to 16 years, 12s 6d per week. Nothing is said about overtime pay, and overtime has not been paid at either of the freezing works. The slaughtermen work under a separate award, and they are paid by the 100 — Freezers 20s, boners 15s, potters 12s 6d, with 2s 6d extra for freezers, and Is 6d for the others after 5 p.m. ; and a bonus of Is per day is added. These rates are paid at the Smithfield Works (near Timaru), and are accepted willingly. There was some difficulty there with this section of the employers two or three weeks ago, but no difficulty was found in getting an; other lot of hands to do the work at the award rates. Mr. Keddie, Inspector of Factories, happened to call at the Pareora Works yesterday morning on one of his periodical visits, and then for the first time heard of the dispute. He saw the men, and quoted to their spokesman the provisions of the award, but, apparently, this made no impression upon him. The men consider that they are only "casual labour," free to come and free to go without notice; free to say whothar they would or would not work for such or such wages. They said they were determined not to work any_ longer without overtime pay; that I their employment was, therefore, ended, and they were 'not bound to resume it if the terms did not suit them. The i men told the inspector they were willI ing to work for 10£ d per hour for eight hours, if they got overtime, but Ihey I argued that the cost of living in boardi ing houses justified" them in demanding more than thJy were earning per week b!9 such a dirty job. The slaughtermen, they said, were earning £1 a day to their own seven or eight shillings, and it cost the former no more to live than the assistants. Mr. Keddie could do nothing, and returned to town. During the afternoon he received from the office of the department in Wellington the following telegram : — "Proceed at once to Pareora and endeavour to settle • the difficulty. Point out to the men that they are liable to prosecution for striking, whether they_ aro unionists or not, as non-unionists are equally liable. Prosecutions have just been laid against over one hundred slaughtermen in Wellington for striking.' Mr Keddie returned to Pareora, and read the telegram io the men, but they said it made no difference. They denied -that they had "struck." They had simply knocked off work. As there was a rumour about- "'picketing' new men who might be engaged, Mr. Keddie asked Sub-inspector Green to send some of his men to Pareora to-morrow morning to see that no disturbance is created. Mr. Waymouth, the managing director of the company, came down from Christchurch toy the first express yesterday, and went on to the works. Asked by a Herald reporter on nis return to Timaru this evening the result of his endeavour to arrange the difficulty, Mr. Waymouth replied that there was little to say. "He "had made the men an offer, which the Inspector of Factories considered reasonable, ■ but they refused to accept it, and he could do no more. There was nothing more to say that day. This offer, the Herald learns from another source, was that if the men would accept the award -rates atpresent, and if the Arbitration Court raised the rales at the next revision, the men should receive the increase as ,back pay. Tho men refused this offer, saying that they did not know where they would be when - the Arbitration Court sat again on this award. It is understood that the employees in the other departments are either in sympathy with the strikers, or at least averse to interfering in the direction of supplying labour to take their places. It is stated that the butchers refused to undertake temporarily the work of the-' strikers, although they were offered wages equal to their average earnings as butchers. The trouble seems to be confined to the Pareora works, no reports of dissatisfaction having come from the company's other establishments in, Canterbury.