THRESHING HANDS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 122, 19 November 1937, Page 11

THRESHING HANDS

MARLBOROUCH AGREEMENT

A dispute between the New Zealand Workers' Union and W. H. Gane and other owners of threshing mills in the Maryborough district regarding threshing mill hands was settled, before the Conciliation Commissioner (Mr. M. J. Reardon) recently. . . . ,

The assessors for the.workers were Messrs. R. Eddy. (Wellington), C. Brough (Nelson), S. Chandler (Marlborough), and C. S, Cresswell (Blenheim). Those of the employers were Messrs. P. O. Dwyer (Redwood Town), W. H. Gane (Spring Creek), G. A. Gunn (Seddon),. and R. .McCailum (Riverlands). . . ■ ,

In View of the effect of the weather there are no fixed hours per week, the average worked being eight daily. The hours are from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for stack threshing, and from .7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for stook threshing, except on Saturdays, when the hours are between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. for both classes of threshing. .','..

The hands, except through accident or illness, aye to . consist of feeder, driver, two stack men, two bag .men. two straw men, and, while in camp, one cook. The number of men employed depends on the size of the mill. In the case of American and similar mills the number ranges from four to six men. Employers must provide huts. Provision is also made for the number of hands in the case of chaff cutters.and balers. .

• Rates of pay for all hands except drivers and cooks are 2s 2d per hour. Drivers receive 3s 2d an hour , and cooks £5 2s 6d per week. Band-cut-ters receive £ 1 17s 6d a week extra for assisting drivers and cleaning and oiling the mill. The man assisting drivers in the case of tractor drivers receives 15s per week extra. Header harvester hands receive 2s 9d per hour. There are wage provisions for other branches of the work.

The holidays are Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Good Friday, and Easter Monday. Sunday work is prohibited.