FREEZERS’ WAGES

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11768, 15 October 1932, Page 5

FREEZERS’ WAGES

EMPLOYERS’ TERMS

REDUCTIONS VARY FROAI 33 PER CENT. UPWARDS.

With the expiration of the award on October 0. operations at freezing works throughout tho Dominion will be on a, new basis this year. Several conferences had been held, but no agreement could be arrived at, and in accordance with the legislation of last session the award automatically expired- Under these circumstances, 'the employers terms will ho read with much interest, in view of the fact that, under normal conditions, over 300 men should he employed at the Haiti works in a month’s time. Tho reductions from last year’s rates vary from less Thun 33 per cent, iu the case of the slaughterhouse assistants, the hourly rate being reduced from Ls I.old to Is 9£d, to 20 per cent, in the ease of slaughtermen, who will -receive 30s per 100 instead of 30s.

The new terms were only made known yesterday, and they will be discussed at a special meeting of the Freezers’ Union, to be held at 2(33 Gladstone road, opposite Collett’s, tomorrow (Sunday) morning. In view of the fact, however, that the negotiations have been left in. the hands of the New Zealand ’Freezers’ .Federation, no finality can be expected from that 'meeting. The statement issued by the associated freezing companies of New Zealand is as follows : Ll connection with the Freezing Workers Award, meetings have been belli in all industrial districts with the object of arriving at a settlement of now terms and conditions for the forthcoming season: these meetings have not produced any agreement, and the award will automatically expire in the Poverty Bay industrial district on 'October 6, 1932. Employers throughout Dm Dominion are at one in regard to the terms and conditions which should apply as from tli, beginning- of the now season and have now made them public. Tb may be said that they lmve slightly modified their wage proposals since the last meetings with the unions and have met some of the objections raised by tlio union s in regard to proposed conditions.

The new terms and conditions will conic into operation throughout the North Island on and after the 17!h of October ; in Canterbury, Otago and Southland oil and after the Ist November at most works and in Marlborough about 'loth November. It is difficult to slate exactly the average percentage reduction in wages proposed, but it is calculated to be somewhere in tlie vicinity of from 10 per cent, to II per cent- In the ease of Hie more highly paid men the percentage reduction is more: in the eas t . of the lower paid worker loss. For example, if is proposed to pay slaughtermen 30s per hundred for sheep and 27s per hundred for lambs; this is a reduction of from 163 per cunt, to -U per cent. In the case of slaughterhouse assistants it i,, proposed to reduce the hourly rate from Is TJ-id to Is 9|d, a reduction of less than 31 per cent. Freezers from 2s Old to Is lOid, a reduction of 73 per cent., and general hands from Is 103 d to Is 9d, a reduction of 63 per cent. Provision has been made for hourly workers for overtime rates to be paid for all time worked in excess of eighthours between 7.30 a.m. and 6 p.toon o days of the week and four hours between 7-30 a.m.. and 12 noon on Saturdays, on a basis ot time and a quarter for the first two hours and time and a half thereafter. Under the new conditions it is estimated that when working full time slaughtermen will he able to earn from 27s to 30s a day. pullers from 28s to 3os a day. slaughterhouse assistants 14s 6c! a day, plus overtime, general hands los a day plus overtime and freezers rather more.

As regards the general conditions, verv few important alterations have been made: the conditions, however, have been redrafted and it is believed "arc now in a much more simple form than previously.