LABOUR DISPUTES

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 119, 16 November 1914, Page 8

LABOUR DISPUTES

BACON HANDS' DEMANDS UP TO £5 PER WEEK WANTED. The claims of the newly-formed Wellington Bacon Factory Employees' Union for an industrial award were considered at a sitting of the Conciliation Council this morning, the Commissioner (Mr. P. Hally) presiding. Mr. W. A. W. Grenfell appeared for the .employers, and Mr. E. Kennedy for the employees. The application for an award was the first filed in the industry in the district. In their demands the men asked for a forty-four hour week and for minimum rates 'of pay ranging up to £5 per week for head preservers. The minimum rates sought for the respective classes of workers were as follow : — Preserving department : Head preserver, £5 per week ; assistant preserver, Is 6d» per hour ; all other workers, Is 4d per hour. Curing department : Head Curer, £4 per week ; assistant curer, Is Bd ' per hour ; all other workers, Is 6d per hour. Small goods department : Head man, £4 per week ; assistant, Is ' 6d per hour ; all other workeis, Is 4d per hour. Freezing chambers : Leading hands, Is 8d per hour; other workers, Is 5d per hour. Slaughterhouse : Slaughtermen, boners, rollers, singers, scalders, and cutters-up, Is 6d per hour. Lard and tallow department : Leading liands, Is 6d per hour ; all other workers, Is 4d per hour. Store department : Head packer, £4 per •week; assistant packers, Is 5d per hour. Washing department : Head washer, ts 6d per hour ; all other workers, Is 4d per hour. Tinsmiths and canistermakers, Is 6d per hour. All workers not otherwise specified herein, Is 4d per hour. The wages of boys and youths, it was requested, should be as follow : — Up to sixteen years of age, '£l per week; up to seventeen years of age, £1 5s per week ; up to eighteen years of age, £1 10s ; per week ; up to nineteen years of age, £1 15s per week ; up to twenty years of age, £2 per week ; and thereafter the minimum rate of wages prescribed. It was further asked that the proportion of boys and youths should not be more than one to every ten men fully employed, the payment of overtime at the rate of time and a-half for the first two hours and double time thereafter, preference to unionists, and, that the term of the award should be for one year. After discussion it was decided to adjourn the dispute and in the meantime to cite all employers in the Wellington district to it.