HARVEST HANDS

Evening Star, Issue 21570, 16 November 1933, Page 14

HARVEST HANDS

UNION SEEKS NEW AWARD The Conciliation Council sat this morning to hear an application by the Otago and Southland Harvest Hands, Threshing Mill, and Chaffcutters’ Union for a new award. The Commissioner (Mr S. Ritchie) presided. The assessors for the union were Messrs W. Herbert and O. E. Baldwin (Christchurch), and those for the employers Messrs A. Craig (Greenfield), J. J. Crampton (Nightcaps), G. A. Hamilton (Lumsden), and R. Walker (Hillgrovc), with- Mr A. S. Cookson as agent. About 200 owners of threshing mills and about 50 farmers in Otago and Southland were cited ns respondents. The wages asked by the-union were: —A minimum rate of Is 8d an hour and “ found ” for all workers covered by the award; drivers, 2s 9d an hour and found; feeders, 2s an hour and found. The union also asked that the mill owner should pay to the band-cutter or other worker who steered the engine and assisted the driver in_ cleaning and oiling the mill an additional sum of £1 5s a week for such services. As counter-proposals the employers submitted the following:—l. The conditions as agreed to in Conciliation Council on December 15, 1932. 2. A minimum wage of Is an hour. The council first discussed conditions of work, and a tentative agreement was reached with respect to most of these. The question of wages was being discussed when the council adjourned till the afternoon.