Farm Labourers Organising

Maoriland Worker, Volume 13, Issue 36, 5 September 1923, Page 15

Farm Labourers Organising

A move is on foot for the organising- of farm employees, and recently delegates from the Wellington, Wairarapa, Hawke's Bay, and Wanganu.l districts met at Palmerston North and proceeded to form the Farm Hands' Association. A working comrnit!'£ie, consisting of die prudent, organiser, hon. secretary, and one delegate from each district was set up, and a draft of the new assoc'alion's demands as to wages and conditions was drawn up for presentation to the Farmers' Union. The claims m-ide are as follow: Shepherds: 48 hours per week) horses to be caught before breakfast and work to be done when necessary. One shilling p*er hour to be charged for t'me over 4S hours. Ploughmen: 4S hours per week, horses to be fed before breakfast and turned out at night in own time. T-me worked over to be pia£jd for aft the rate of one shilling per hour. Fencers: 4S hours p-Jr week, time worked over to h e paid for at the rate of one shilling per hour. Milkers: 52 hours per week, including Sundays; hours to be worked per day to be arranged according to number of cows milked. Time to when mjlke-rs muster cows; no-S more than eight hours to be -worked per day, Sunday's two hours to be counted four. Time worked ov<2f 52 hours per week to be charged for at the mate of ninepence per hour. Cowman-gardeners: 52 hours pcx Wisek; not more than eight hours to be worked per day, two hours- to be counted four on Sundays. Time to start when mustering cows. Teaapence per hour to be charged for all t'me worked over_s2 hours. Gardeners: 4S hours per week; lime worked over 48 to be paid for ait th Q rate of Is. per hour. Married Couples. To be provided with'separate'"cottage or bedroom and s-tting-rooin with separate entrance. Man to work number of hours according ito class of work to be done; woman to be off duty every afternoon for two hours, and a full halfday off per week. It no time -allowed off to be paid for tat thje* ijato of teapence per hour for such -time as should be allowed. Men Cooks: To be allowed one clear day off per week, an_ if no deputy arranged for, must bs paid for as oue extra day _ser week. Hours of work: Breakflast, 7 a;m., leave for work, 7.20 a.m_; dinner, 13 £o_lj work, 1 to 5 p.mu; Saturday,