THE FREEZING INDUSTRY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 20, 20 December 1932, Page 12

THE FREEZING INDUSTRY

COMBATING REDUCTIONS. WORKERS’ VIEWS. Th© attitude at present being adopted by the freezing works slaughtermen to combat the demands by the companies in respect to wage reductions, was outlined last night to a meeting held in the Empire Hall, by a trio of speakers. One speaker addressed the audience for the best part of an hour. Mr H. W. Anderson occupied the chair and, in introducing the first speaker, Mr C. H. Brown, stated that as a freezing worker of over 20 years’ standing he was proud of the united stand being made by the slaughtermen. However, they were not fighting for wages so much as for economic security for their wives and children. The workers had men in their ranks with the talent enabling them to wage the fight to a successful conclusion. THE CHAIN SYSTEM. Mr Brown, in his early- remarks, discounted the reports current in respect to the success of the chain system now operating in the freezing works, quoting figures to show that works in tho Auckland district, despite increased cost in production, by- reason of the additional men employed, were falling far short of the returns from skilled butchers. As a result New Zealand lamb was going on to the Home market burdened with production costs, for which the farmer was, in reality, paying. For the slaughtermen to fail would mean a landslide for all other workers in the future. Tho slaughtermen had realised that the meat companies wore offering them a bare existence and they had refused to accept it. While tho companies wore prepared to take tho men back, it was not as an organised body, but as a rabble. After an eight weeks’ fight be tween the companies and the workers the ranks of the latter remained with a united front. BASIS OF REDUCTIONS.

Mr J. De Cleene, the succeeding speaker, dotailed the reductions proposed by tho companies, adding that for a worker to go homo minus 424 per cent, of his wages would mean that there would be little at all. In addition to tho reductions in rates, it had been proposed that another hour per day bo worked. Under tho new scheme the slaughtermen would be paid at £1 9s for 100 sheep as compared with £2 under tho old rate, which would mean a reduction of 274 per cent. Among other rates affected were lambs per 100, £1 6s (£1 17s 6d), a reduction of 30 per cent.; calves up to 601 b, 3d (7d), 57 per cent.; calves up to 1301 b, Is (Is 4d), 25 per cent.; calves, 2001 b to 230 lb, Is 6d (Is lid), 324 per cent. The speaker also dealt with tne x-ovenue derived by the companies from tho byproducts. Tho position, he said, was not known to many farmers and even the workers had not been cognisant of it. HISTORY OF CONFERENCES.

Mr H. Lang, in tho course of his address, detailed the history of the approaches made to the union by the meat companies and the endeavours mado to defeat the slaughterman through the labourer in the works, so that at the meetings of the union tho slaughtermen, who were outnumbered, would be out-voted. The men had been asked to surrender their rights of 'organisation, but the overtures had been in vain. Further, tho companies were now realising that the introduction of the chaiß system hnd failed. Overtures had been mado to 15 butchers at Feilding to return to work and still later to a further 15, but the conditions demanded by the workers had not been complied with and there had been no response. The workers still offered a united front. The companies were not pre pa red to submit to arbitration and accept the result; whereas the slaughtermen were prepared. While the Feilding works had 150 to 200 per cent, more workers than previously, they were, he asserted, turning out a little less than 25 per cent, of wnat the union butchers had done. It had been stated that £600,000,000 was invested by British statesmen in the Argentine meat trade, where coolie labour was employed, and to compete with the Argentine costs in New Zealand had, perforce, to come down. However, it meant that the New Zealand worker would, in reality, have to come down to the level of the coolie. Dealing with the effect of tho lowering of wages the speaker maintained that unemployment would never be solved thereby. The farmers, as a class, had been too apt to support any move in the direction of a reduction in the wages of the worker, but he was commencing to realise that tho lowering of wages was preventing the worker from purchasing tho articles the farmer produced. The workers’ fight, concluded the speaker, had become the business men’s fight in Feilding and steps were being taken by *h<* business people to approach their member for Parliament in the matter.

In moving a vote of thanks to the speakers, Mr Mandeno congratulated them on tho lucid manner in which they had presented their ense and moved that tho meeting pledge itself to support tho freezing workers in their fight for a fitting wage. The motion was seconded and carried.