FREEZING WORKERS’ DISPUTE

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 16 January 1926, Page 5

FREEZING WORKERS’ DISPUTE

* EMPLOYERS TO CALL FOR ; FREE A LABOUR. RESUMPTION OF NORMAL WORKING ORDERED. (BY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION.) CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 15. To-day, the seventh day of the freezing works ‘ ‘go slow, ’ ’ ended in the employers deciding to invite applications for free labour. A meeting was held to-da.v between representatives of 'the various farmers’ organisations and of the Canterbury freezing companies. As a result the farmers’ organisations have undertaken to enrol men in the event of any stoppage occurring at the works.. It is anticipated that notices will be posted at the works to-morrow, cancelling the previous notices reducing the output per man to four per hour, and ordering the resumption of the normal killing rate. It is stated that a union delegate left for the south to-day for the purpose of conferring with the men employed at various works in the district affected. KILLING BOARD COMEDY. MEN STILL “GOING SLoV.” BAD EFFECT ON THE FARMER Thirty-three butchers stood on the boards at the Fairfield freezing works with folded arms. They stood and waited, they waited and waited, but they did not mind that, for they were going slow. Apparently going slow is a form of huge entertainment, for when a newspaper man appeared he was greeted hilariously, says the Christchurch correspondent of the Auckland Herald. There was no suspicion that he was unwelcome. indeed, the men appeared to be disappointed that he had not brought a photographer, preferably a. movie photographer with a slow motion camera. All things come to an end, and the interval of pleasant waiting was broken. Thirty-three lambs were driven up, and these were gazed upon by 33 butchers with expressions of deep regret. Then the killing squad went into snail-like action. They killed the lambs almost with one movement, so it seemed, and then they stood for a long space and continued their joking. A nod from one of them and they engaged in an operation known as “legging.” Tlieir knives flashed in unison like the violin bows in an orchestra. There was another wait, but they beguiled the time in pleasant conversation. Again they went into action. This time, with a simultaneous heave, so to speak, they swung the carcases up and suspended them on the gambles. The operation completed, 1 they stood aside for a space, recovering from their exertions. There being no appearance of morning tea or anything like that they turned to the carcases again and made some slashes. The newspaper man. lingered in all for three-quarters of an hour, and then turned away. In that period he had seen 33 lambs done to death by 33 butchers. A competent man can easily handle lambs at the rate of ten an hour. “Come again,” called out one of the men. “We can do better than this.’ He was right. The men had been killing at the rate of two an hour, so they were behind in their schedule. .There was no change in the situation in the Canterbury works to-day. Both sides to the dispute profess confidence in the outcome of the test of strength. The reduction of output has caused the companies to pay off 144 hands in the five works in North and Mid-Canterbury. These are from the slaughter-houses and subsidiary departments. Notices were posted to the effect that the rate was to be four an hour, but. as the experience at Fairfield shows, even that rate is not being attained.