FREEZING DISPUTE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 158, 19 June 1936, Page 7

FREEZING DISPUTE

Employees' Claims Before Conciliation Council COUNTER-PROPOSALS By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, June 18. The Conciliation Council has comnenced the hearing of the Dominion dispute in the meat freezing industry created by the North Island Trades Associa lion of Workers, comprising 11 unions in the North Island, the claims affecting all companies in the North Island, and similarly by the South Island Freezing Workers’ Industrial Association affecting all works in the South Island. There is in addition a dispute created by the Auckland Abbatoirs Assistants’ Union in the Auckland industrial district and another in Wellington created by the Wellington Freezing-Works Employees’ Union. Both these were set down for hearing at a later date. By mutual agreement, however, the Auckland union agreed to co-operate with the North Island Freezing Workers’ Federation in the case now before the Court. Mr M. J. Beardon, Conciliation Commissioner, is presiding. The agent for the association is Mr W. E. Sill, of Auckland, and for the South Island Mr L. Glover, of Wellington. The agent for the employers is Mr C. G. Wilkin, of Christchurch. The employees’ claims

corer every phase of the industry, with a minimum wage for labourers of 2/3 an hour. The employers’ counter proposals are for a 5 per cent increase on the rates set out in the present agreement subject to the conditions of work remaining the same, to which is appended a note to the effect that under the new and proposed statutory provisions both with regard to time and other alterations in working conditions the average earnings will be at least equal to, if not greater than, earnings under the 1931 rates of pay. The meeting went into committee, and the proceedings are expected to last several days.