FREEZING DISPUTE

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 November 1926, Page 2

FREEZING DISPUTE

VOLUNTEERS JOIN UNION. (Per Press Association.) GISBORNE, November 27. An important development at both the local freezing works is that the whole of the volunteer staffs have joined the existing Freezing Workers’ Union. This completely alters the whole position, as the works are now entirely manned with union workers. The operations are proceeding most satisfactorily. The stock coming forward is being dealt with. A meeting of farmers at Tolago Bay resulted in an adequate organisation to staff the works at Tokomaru Bay, opening on December 6.

TOKOMARU o REFUSAL.. GISBORNE, November 29. A full meeting of members of th Freezing Workers’ Union was held a , Tokomaru Bay on Saturday night ' when officials of the union spoke am ! urged the men to follow the lead o ’ the other branches. The meetin; 1 was stormy and the officials did no ! get a good hearing. Eventually th< ' following resolution was passed .bj ■ 19 to 15: That this branch consider: ' the present time inopportune for de manding increases in wages, and thai • work be accepted under the present ■ award. The Tokomaru Bay works opencc this morning, with a complete stall of union men. ALLEGED LOW WAGES. .AUCKLAND, November 27. Mr W. E: Sill, secretary of the Auckland branch of the Freezing Works Employees’ Union, in a statement of the case for the men stresses the point that all the freezing workers and not the slaughtermen only, are concerned in the local dispute, which, he says, is not a strike, and which was due to the refusal of the employers to discuss the conditions of the industry. The Union did not present any demands. They merely asked for a friendly conference and all they got was a snub. Last season, said Mr Sill, the men employed at Southdown earned on an average 67/- a week each. For about half of the short freezing season they were idle. EMPLOYERS’ REPLY. WELLINGTON, November 29. The Freezing employers, said Mr J. Milne, in a statement yesterday, “have made it quite clear that they cannot recede from their attitude in respect to the union’s claim for a general increase in rates of pay, and their offer to refer this and any other matters to the Arbitration Court is contingent on manning the works immediately.” He answers the statements in the Press in regard to the earning, and says that from records the companies posses, the average earnings show the following: Slaughterhouse assistants £4 11s 4d; - offal houses £4 10s 8d; freezing chambers £5 17s 4d; fellmongery £5 4s 2d, tallow manure £4 10s 8d; gard labourers £4 10/-, preserving department, £4 6s 6d; hide department £4 15s. The earnings quoted in the newspapers appear to be isolated cases. The present position of the industry and the country generally is such as to indicate that no further increases of wages will be possible. In fact, it will be difficult to maintain the rates of pay at the present standard. PAHIATUA RESOLUTIONS. ’ ,PAHIA.TUA, November 29. A large and representative meeting of farmers, passed resolutions supporting 'the organising of free labour for freezing works during the present trouble; 'also urging upon the executive of the Farmers’ pinion, to do all possible to have the' pteferenfce 6f unionist’s clause in the Act eliminated.