FREEZING WORKERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 June 1936, Page 5

FREEZING WORKERS

DOMINION AGREEMENT REACHED

[PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

WELLINGTON, June 20. A complete agreement was reached late Saturday night, in the Dominion ■ meat freezing industry dispute, heard in Wellington, before the newly appointed Conciliation Commissioner, Mr. M. .1. Reardon. The effect will be that as from July 1 next, employees in the freezing industry throughout N.Z. will revert to the conditions and wages as in their 1931 awards and agreements. Where clauses were, agreed on during the three days’ sit-' -ting these will be embodied in the 1931 conditions, but where no agreement has been reached, the 1931 conditions will apply. The Arbitration Court will not be asked to deal in any way with the rates of pay, hours of labour, or working conditions, but will be asked to determine after hearing argument, whether the payments provided for by recent legislation should be taken into account in the calculation of the 1931 rates when no holidays were paid for. “The agreement as it stands now.” Mr. Reardon said, “challenges in importance the agreement recently arriv-

ed at by the Minister of Public Works in standardisation of Public Works rates pay. There are more than lO.Ooti men employed in the meat frecz.ng industry, and the agreement, covers every works from Whangarei to Bluff.” The terms of the agreement are disclosed in the following statement, by

he employers: “The employers undei

stand that, they, in common with other employers, will be obliged to pay us from July 1. 1936, the 1931 rates of pay. and are therefore bound to accept this position. This is subject to

the question of rates being left to the Court for the reason that the legislative provisions in regard to payments for statutory holidays, extra payments for junior labour, basic wage, and other factors may be taken into account in the adjustment of 1931 rates. The employers desire to reserve any rights they may have in this connection. The 1931 conditions are to be taken as a basis, with the following reservations: The employers are prepared to accept the agreement already arrived at with regard to certain clauses, and desire improvements in the general drafting of the clauses. This, of course, is without prejudice to the right of either party to discuss and amend certain clauses to which at present exception is taken.

The attitude of the employees is summed up in the following statement: “The applicants accept as a basis of settlement, the principle of the full restoration of 1931 rates and other conditions of employment, but do not accept the claims of employers that payment for holidays be taken irtto consideration in determining the actual rates to be paid. The applicants also claim that they are entitled to a 40 hour week and the consequential adjustment of rates of pay, which will bring the workers earnings for a 40 hour week to the level existing under the 44 hour week. A drafting committee was set up for the purpose of embodying the terms of the agreement in the new set of clauses to be incorporated in Hie new award at the conclusion of the sitting. By consent, the Auckland Abattoir Assistants' Union was added as a party to the dispute thus giving them the

same standing as the North Island

WELLINGTON, .June 22

With regard to the freezing dispute, it is officially explained that the agreement which was reached on Saturday night, provides for the reversion to wages as in 1931 awards and agreements, subject to adjustments

necessitated by the chain system of slaughtering, which was not. followed in 1931. It is hoped that the Count will only have to adjust the matter and clauses which may be still in dispute. The Court will be asked, and the parties reserve the right to argue. whether the industry be worked on 40 hours or 44 hours week, and whether in arriving at the wages payable, the employers have the right to take into calculation the new legislative provision regarding holidays, and so forth. The wages clauses operate from July 1. but other conditions from the date when the Court makes the award.