SEASONAL WORK

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 10, 11 July 1936, Page 10

SEASONAL WORK

CANNING FACTORIES

FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

CASE BEFORE COURT

An application was made to ths Arbitration Court today by S. Kirkpatrick #nd Co., Ltd., Nelson, Thompson and Hills, Ltd., Auckland, and J.; Wattie Canneries, Ltd., Hastings, fruit and . vegetable canners and jam makers, for the right to work a 51----day, 44-hour week from November 1 to April 30 each year, Ths / ground for the application was that fruit had to be canned as soon as it was ripe and if the factories could not work on Saturdays the growers would lose the fruit that ripened towards the end of the week. An application for an amendment of the Nelson Jam Factories' Employees' Award for a reduction of the working hours to 40 was also considered.

Mr. A. W. Nisbet, secretary of the Wellington Manufacturers1 Association, appeared for the employers and l\ ™?l d re PreMnted the workers. Mr. _ Nisbet referred to the special provisions in the Factories Act 1921----22, for extended hours in jam factories during the small-fruit season, and said that when the jam factories were included in the second schedule of the Act it was doubtful if the Legislature had contemplated the canning of vegetables, which was a comparatively new industry. He submitted that the Court should allow the same provisions for fruit and vegetable canning as. applied to jam making. The applicants were asking for the right to employ women and boys for 44 hours (including four on Saturday morning) per week. from November 1 to April 30 each year in.the case of employees in canning factories, and • until the small-fruit season opened in the case of jam factories.

under a 48-hour week, said Mr. Nisbet, it was always necessary for-the factories to work a substantial amount of overtime to cope with 'the rush of fresh fruit received and consequently he considered the request for a 44.hour week (with work on' Saturday morning) was reasonable As the work was purely seasonal the industry was at a serious disadvantage in comparison with other industries, as there would be added burdens through overtime even with a 44-hour week. "A MORAL OBLIGATION." "However, it is not on the grounds of cost but purely on the grounds of efficiency that this application is/based" Mr. Nisbet said. "The applicants are under a very definite morai obligation to the growers supplying the raw material to the factories. Most of these growers have entered into the business by reason of the fact that the applicants have provided the factories to deal with their produce. If these factories are now to be closed down for two days in each week the result would inevitably be a great waste of fruit and vegetables at each weekend during the glut of the season, and not by any stretch of imagination could it be held that the industry was being carried on efficiently under such conditions."

The quantity of fresh fruit received daily varied according to climatic conditions, Mr. Nisbet continued, and the factories had contracted to take the fruit when it was ready. It had to be processed and preserved within a few hours or loss would result, or, at least the quality would suffer. The legislation could never have been meant to bring about conditions that would lead to waste and financial loss. The applicant firms were not opposed to the 40-hour ;week, Mr. Nisbet said, if it could be made practicable but they submitted that it was not practicable to carry on the industry dur=. ing the summer months without a 54----day, 44-hour week.. ™Evi?- e? ce 'on the Points outlined by Mr. Nisbet was given by Dr. E. Marsf* n' °f. th, e. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Mr. Charles tm at'i 3 director of Kirkpatrick's, Ltd., Nelson, Mr. J. Wattie, managing director of J. Wattie Canneries Ltd Hastings Mr. R. S. Thompson, a direct tor of Thompson, Hills, Ltd., Auckland V£ Mr- G- J" W- Cooper, of Coopers,' i-.td., seedmerchants, Wellington. ■ Decision was reserved.