Belfast Dispute Over Manning Of Chains

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22820, 15 December 1948, Page 3

Belfast Dispute Over Manning Of Chains

(P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH. Dec. 15. A settlement of the dispute over the manning of the second chain at the Belfast works of Thomas Borthwick and Sons (Australasia), Limited, was reached yesterday afternoon and from today the chain will be manned by 21 men.

The offer of the Canterbury Freezing Workers’ Union to allow a second chain of 21 men was made at a conference at Belfast in the morning with the representatives of Borthwicks and the Freezing Works’ Association and was rejected by (lie company. The union was firm in its refusal to man a chain of 35 after it had ascertained that, at the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company’s works at Belfast where the one chain of 35 was not working on Monday, the men would be kept reasonably busy until Christmas.

Borthwicks rejected an offer of a second chain of 21 men until Christmas and of two chains of 30 slaughtermen for the slack period which usually occurs in January.

The company held that a 21 -man chain was inadequate to cope with the stock offering, said Mr. C. G. Wilkin, secretary of the Freezing Works’ Association, in reporting the breakdown of the morning negotiations.

Although later in the day the company sought an agreement on a 28-men chain being manned, the union declined to consider any extension beyond 21 men.

The point was stressed by the union that if, because of the north-west weather, an onrush of stock for the works began, a new situation would be created and the union, being reasonable, would have to meet it.

The staffing when the stock position reached its peak would be subject to discussion according to the circumstances then existing. The final negotiations were brief and the union’s conditions were accepted. A broadcast was later made for 21 slaughtermen, plus an auxiliary staff, to attend at the works (his morning.