FREEZING WORKS EMPLOYEES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 16 January 1929, Page 5

FREEZING WORKS EMPLOYEES.

HOSPITAL BENEFIT SCHEME. APPROVED BY PATEA BOARD. An interesting question was before the Patea Hospital Board at yesterday’s meeting, when a deputation _ of workers from the Patea Freezing Works Union, Mssrs G. Clarke, L. Hepwortli and C. Elvidge, waited on the board to propound a scheme for ensuring by means of a weekly payment by each man, treatment at the hospital for the men and their wives and families. The suggested arrangement was the payment by each worker of the sum of sixpence per week to cover cost of maintenance of any member in hospital or of any member and his family, the fund to be applied from time to time in maintenance of cases in hospital. The members of the board listened to the arguments put forward and after approving the priiieiple of the scheme adopted the following resolution, “That the board enter into< an arrangement to accept sixpence per week per member to cover the cost of maintenance of any member of the union, his wife and members of the family np to 12 years of age, when in hospital, the levy to l be credited the union’s account with- the board and any maintenance incurred by union members to be debited to the account.” The arrangement is- to last for six months from January 18, 1929, but maternity cases are not to be included. The question had been dealt with in other districts and the deputation in putting its case referred to the following extract from- a Wellington papier in regard to Tawa Flat workers: “An order of agreement has been made by the Wellington Hospital Board to the employees of. the Public Works Department at Tawa Flat and Ngahanranga, by which men shall pay tlie board 3d per week per head to cover the cost of maintenance m the hospital of any of their members wives and children (up to the age or 12 years). This agreement, if accepted, is to hold good for six months, at the end of which period the question will be reviewed in order that it may be shown whether it will work out on an equality with the fifty-fiftv agreement as arranged with the friendly societies. The agreement does not include x-ray fees or services rendered to a patient who is not admitted to the hospital, in which case half the usual rate must be The speakers added that a similai airangement existed at Wairoa works. Board members approved genera 11 v and agreed that the deputation had met them very reasonably. It was explained that the number of members of the union was between 130 and 140.